Dreams of Red
by Saranwyn
Summary: Constrained. Sesshoumaru, Prince of the West, and heir to the Great Dog Demon could be described in that one word. But Sesshoumaru dreams of red. InuYasha has always had a slight obsession with the beautiful, future Lord of the West. He finally meets him and that obsession starts to have a finally purpose. Warning: YAOI! Inucest! InuYasha/teen!Sessh Mpreg! M for future chapters.
1. Red Dreams

Constrained. Sesshoumaru, Prince of the West, and heir to the Great Dog Demon could be described in that one word.. He was the epitome of self control. He never smiled because he was happy, only ever as a polite gesture during negotiations or as a triumphant smirk when he got his way. He didn't frown except slightly on occasion when he deemed the circumstance to be in dire need of correcting. His life was composed of paperwork, negotiations, and hours upon hours of training. Everything neat and organized – not a hair out of place. Perfection.

And yet, Sesshoumaru did not dream of order. No. Sesshoumaru dreamt of running in the wind, of a world without walls, a life beyond his desk. He dreamt of dirt beneath his feet and leaves in his hair and sun in his eyes. He dreamt of jumping and tumbling and chasing and flying. He dreamt of trees and grass and stars and breathless exhilaration. Yes, Sesshoumaru, Prince of the West, and heir to the Great Dog Demon dreamt of red.

And for the first time in his life, while staring out his window one day while taking a break from the endless piles of paperwork awaiting him, before his own waking eyes, he saw the color red. Not a deep, royal burgundy, or a soft, muted rose. No. This was a bright, bold, blaring scarlet making absolute fools of the royal guards in front of the palace.

He danced circles around them, silver hair streaming out behind him as he taunted them. _What in all creation is he doing?_ Sesshoumaru wondered, intrigued. It was rare that anyone picked a fight with the royal guards, and he was so obviously outnumbered. _He's an InuYoukai, like us,_ Sesshoumaru noted. _But not of the royal bloodline maybe? There are so few left, that's hard to imagine – yet if he was, the guards would not be fighting him…right?_ The young prince stood and leaned against the window to get a better view…just in time to see his mother come out to resolve the issue. _Well, there goes that,_ Sesshoumaru thought apathetically, expecting any minute for the intruder to become nothing more than heap of lifeless flesh and bones. But to his shock, the intruder was not killed – he was captured. Quickly, he glided – Prince Sesshoumaru would never run over such a trivial matter – down to meet them on their way to the dungeon.

"Who is this?" he asked, coming to stand in front of the captive. He was a young demon. Sesshoumaru's nose twitched. No. Not a demon. A half demon. That would explain the guard's behavior, though it did little to explain his mother's. Lady Suzumi abhorred anything remotely human. The prince returned to his inspection of the captive. He had long, silver hair – like all White InuYoukai – and golden eyes. _Like mine, _ Sesshoumaru noted as a passing thought. His jaw was set defiantly, and he met Sesshoumaru's gaze evenly. But even more intriguing to the prince than this creature's behavior was that out of his head sprouted two, white, puppy-like ears. The scarlet-clad figure seemed to notice this and growled.

"They're ears, okay? Didn't your mother ever tell you it was impolite to stare?!" he snapped his cheeks flushing slightly.

"You dare speak to me in such a tone, you impertinent brat? Didn't **your **mother ever tell you to respect your elders and betters?" the arrogant reply came easily to Sesshoumaru's lips. And still, the "impertinent brat" intrigued him. Perhaps it was his lack of fear. Or his wild, haphazard disorder. His imperfection. "What is your name?"

"Maybe I'll tell you once you pull the stick out of your royal backside," the half-demon sneered. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "What, lost for words, Princess?" A guard lifted his hand to smack the boy, but Sesshoumaru stopped him with a slight lift of his fingers and a shake of his head.

"Take him away, I have no time to waste on this pathetic half-breed," Sesshoumaru sneered before walking off, heading back up to his study. He met his mother in the hallway and she glanced at him expectantly. "Do you wish to ask me something, mother?" the prince asked at length. She sighed.

"You met the prisoner. The Hanyou."

"Yes, I did."

"And you see why I do not tolerate half-breeds or humans?" _Has she really come just to make sure I agree with her?_ Sesshoumaru mused.

"Yes. I see." He turned an even gaze to her. "But when I rule this land, they, too, will fall under my jurisdiction. I will be charged with their protection as much as anyone else's. Besides, I don't care too much for other demons, either." She exhaled sharply but did not argue further.

"So what did you think of him?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just answer the question."

"He was rude, untidy, coarse…fearless to a fault…why did you not kill him on sight? An intruder has never been captured for no reason – much less a half demon."

"He is your father's son." Sesshoumaru froze mid-step.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Your father, before he died, mated with a human woman. In fact, it was she and her little brat that he died defending."

"So you and father never mated." Of course, they'd had a child. But they had never bound their souls. It was not uncommon for royalty to have children for the sake of politics and to never mate any of their partners or to mate some commoner who they truly loved. Any child born from such a mating, of course, would be given no inheritance, but their life – no matter who they were – was considered sanctified and could only be ended as punishment to a crime. Of course, that didn't mean that people wouldn't try to kill the child anyways, especially a Hanyou – and it was unlikely that anyone would make a big deal of it if he was murdered.

"No – your father and I never mated, so I suppose I cannot begrudge him choosing another mate. Still, a human! It was pathetic."

"You knew before this, then?"

"Of course I knew. He couldn't keep a secret like that from me, so he didn't even try. Besides, I had a right to know as the mother of his son." Sesshoumaru nodded. He had already guessed that his parents had never mated. His mother never spoke fondly of his father's memory, and his recollection of their life together was not one of familial love and caring. His mother was cold and calculating – a trait which she passed to her son – and his father was rarely around. When he was, he always seemed to avoid Sesshoumaru, like he didn't really know how to deal with him. That very well might have been true, too. Their few father-son discussions had always been strained.

"Did he know Father at all?"

"No, your father died while he was still an infant – on the night of his birth, actually." Sesshoumaru nodded.

"What was he doing here? The boy?"

"He says he came here by accident, and when the guards challenged him, he simply couldn't refuse."

"Hm. I see. Well, I have work to get back to." And with that, the demon prince walked off back to his study. Sighing, he sat back down at his desk and continued the paperwork that waited completion.

That night, after dinner, he found himself tiptoeing downstairs to the dungeon. It was curiosity, more than compassion, that drove him down there with a plate of food as his excuse. He went to the cell in which the half-demon was imprisoned. He was lounging in the cell as if it were a luxurious suite, hands folded behind his head. He cracked a smile at Sesshoumaru.

"Oh, hey Princess," he greeted the demon prince casually.

"You should curb your tongue." He stood up now and sauntered over to the bars of the cage, leaning his head against it.

"Perhaps, but really, Twinkle Toes, I don't care much." Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to frown. He didn't understand this boy at all. "You know, you really should get out of the palace…out of the village."

"Who are you to judge?"

"Have you ever been?"

"I…don't have time for that sort of thing." The half-demon frowned deeply.

"That's just nonsense."

"It's not nonsense. It's duty. Not that you'd know about that."

"What are you doing here, **Your Highness**?" Sesshoumaru remembered the plate of food in his hand and went to the door of the half-demon's cell.

"I brought you dinner."

"And here I thought you came all this way to make me sit there and watch you taunt me with it." Ignoring the sarcastic remark, Sesshoumaru opened the cell door and set the plate on the ground before shutting it again, surprised when the prisoner made no move to try to escape.

"You know – that was your best opportunity to get out," Sesshoumaru commented dryly. His half-brother blinked.

"Well, not really," he replied at length. "I'm not particularly interested in fighting you. After all, you **are** said to be second only to your mother, the Great Dog Demon, herself." Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. He'd never liked his mother being called the Great Dog Demon. That had been his father's title, and he was his father's heir. But until he reached maturity, his mother held everything in safekeeping for him. The title was something he felt he deserved, now. After all, his power had exceeded his mother's about a decade ago, and the title of Great Dog Demon was given to the most powerful InuYoukai. But she insisted on waiting. Two more decades until he turned two-centuries. Then he would be deemed fully mature.

"Is that what they say?" he murmured.

"You disagree?" Sesshoumaru glanced up at the boy, his eyes narrowing. _Is this some sort of test?_ He mused.

"Enough talking about me. Do you know why you were spared, boy?"

"Spared?"

"Yes, we had every right to kill you when you started fighting our guards."

"What? **They** attacked **me** for no reason!"

"You were spared because your father was also my father." The hanyou's jaw dropped open. Then he laughed.

"Funny."

"I'm not joking." The laughing abruptly stopped.

"Sorry, it's hard to tell when your face never changes. Y-you…you can't be serious though. My old man? Lord Inu no Taisho?"

"Yes. Your father mated your mother and had you. Of course, that doesn't make you a prince – especially because you're not a full demon – but it does sanctify your life."

"Hah! Tell that to the demons that try to eat me just about every-other day." Sesshoumaru shrugged carelessly.

"Well, you **are** just a Hanyou. No one's going to go starting a war over you, or anything." InuYasha bristled, clenching his fist.

"So what, because I'm half-human, I'm worth less than you?"

"Basically."

"You're such an arrogant bastard, you know that?" Sesshoumaru lifted a brow. Arrogant bastard? Yes, he knew he was.

"I **do** know that." Suddenly, InuYasha laughed.

"And you aren't the least bit ashamed of it."

"Well, I'm arrogant, why would I be ashamed of anything that I am?" Sesshoumaru deadpanned. Yes, Sesshoumaru had been told many times just what he was. Arrogant, distant, cruel, those labels were not uncommon for him. He had long ago come to terms with them.

"Good point, I guess," InuYasha conceded. "Though why such an arrogant bastard would bring dinner to a worthless **half-breed** like me, I have no idea." Sesshoumaru shrugged.

"It was an impulse. What's your name, Hanyou. You never told me." The boy chuckled and picked up the plate analyzing the food.

"Best I've eaten in years," he commented dryly before beginning to eat.

"What's your name?" Sesshoumaru repeated.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"I just do. So what's your name?" The truth was, Sesshoumaru himself, didn't understand his fascination with the strange, red-clad half-demon that had no fear. He just knew that he wanted to know everything about him – starting with his name.

"InuYasha," the prisoner conceded at last.

"InuYasha…" Sesshoumaru tested it on his tongue. He repeated it a few times, getting used to the taste of it in his mouth.

"Happy?"

"I am satisfied for the moment, yes…InuYasha."


	2. Exhilaration

Short chapter, I know. The next one will be longer. This is...sort of a transition chapter, but I didn't feel like attaching it onto the next one, so...sorry. More coming soon, I hope!

* * *

InuYasha paced around his cell. He'd come in the first place because he wanted to meet Sesshoumaru. Ever since he was a child, he'd idolized the demon prince. It was actually a bit unnatural. He'd always craved to meet him, longed for it from afar. And now, finally, he'd plucked up the courage to go see him, and here he was in jail. And he'd learned that he was the prince's brother…well, half-brother. It was too much to believe, when he first found out. But once the shock and worn off came a sense of awe and wonder and then absolute elation. Even more heartening was that Sesshoumaru came to visit him the next day…and the next…and the next for two weeks running. But the prison was getting cramped and his mind had been working on a plan – a plan that required him to get out of this palace.

Sesshoumaru, he had decided, needed to get a life. His prince was everything he'd imagined and more, but he was too, damn reserved! He needed to get out and see the world, to experience life with his own, two hands, not watch it go by outside his window. And InuYasha was developing the perfect plan to let him do just that. He would take it upon himself, he decided, to teach the young lord about everything he didn't know. Yes, he would show him a life that would blow his mind. He just needed to get out of this stupid prison!

"Oy, prisoner. The prince couldn't bring you food today, so he asked me to," a guard called, scattering InuYasha's thoughts. The half-demon smiled – his lucky day, then. He would be seeing his prince soon enough, he was sure.

"Is that so? How considerate of him." The guard opened the door to put the food in and all of a sudden, InuYasha was in front of him, a hand over his mouth, claws at his neck. "Now, be a doll and don't struggle," he growled lowly. He closed his fingers around the man's throat, effectively putting him in a blood choke until he felt the guard pass out. He let him drop to the floor and then ran off. _Now, to capture his attention,_ he thought. He sprinted through the palace, heading out to the courtyard where he knew he'd be in clear view of the prince's window. Indeed, by the time he got there, the prince was already leaning against his window, watching.

"Hey!" a guard shouted.

"See you later, Princes Twinkle Toes!" InuYasha shouted up at his idol, before turning tail and running. Sesshoumaru touched the window and then swiftly hurried downstairs to the gate. His half-brother was running through them.

"Wait!" the prince stayed his guards. "He made complete fools of you, last time." He lifted his chin officiously. "I will fetch him." His mother, who was just arriving on the scene, lifted a brow but did not argue. He hurried out into the down beyond the palace gates, following InuYasha's scent. At the edge of the town, right in the gates, he hesitated, though. This would be his first time outside the town. _Stop being such a girl, Sesshoumaru,_ he chastised himself, and stepped through the gates.

"See, was that so bad?" a voice teased him. He looked up and saw InuYasha sitting up in a tree. Sesshoumaru pulled a small frown.

"I have come to bring you back to the palace," he declared. InuYasha laughed, grinning widely, standing up.

"Come on and catch me, then." Sesshoumaru leapt up to grab him, but the half-demon darted away. The prince took off after him. Leaping and bounding, they sprinted through the trees, jumping off branches and springing high into the air in what must have been the most exhilarating experience Sesshoumaru had ever had. He sprinted after the red blur ahead of him, chasing it, every natural hunter instinct of his kicking into overdrive. His heartbeat was loud and fast in his own ears, every sense incredibly heightened, his breathing quick and shallow in anticipation. Finally, he caught his prey, pouncing on him from behind and sending them both tumbling to the ground. They rolled around on the forest floor, each grappling for the upper hand, ending with Sesshoumaru on top of InuYasha. They stared at each other, both panting heavily, eyes bright and lips curled in satisfied smiles.

"Have fun, Princess?" InuYasha chuckled. Sesshoumaru blinked, surprised. Then, almost shyly, he nodded. "See? It's kind of nice out here."

"I never said it wasn't." The half-demon touched Sesshoumaru's cheek with the backs of his knuckles, silently marveling at the prince's beauty. _He looks like an angel, the light through the trees creating a halo for him…smooth, pale skin, long, silky, silver hair – much softer than my own – cascading down around us like a shimmering curtain, gorgeous, golden eyes that would make honey jealous of the color. These elegant markings, the dark blue crescent on his forehead and especially these red stripes on his cheeks and wrists…I wonder where else those stripes exist. That soft, sensual mouth…it doesn't look nearly so forbidding when it's not tight and constrained. The curve of his jaw, he looks so delicate and fragile, like I could break him by touching him too hard, but with his body against mine, I can tell, he's all muscle and strength. Lean and powerful and graceful. He's perfect, like this._

"I have to admit…I didn't come to the palace by accident," he confessed.

"But then why-?"

"I came because I wanted to meet you." Shocked silence. "Presumptuous for a filthy Hanyou like me, huh?" he chuckled.

"Very," Sesshoumaru murmured, sounding a tad dazed. "But…Why?"

"All my life, I grew up hearing about you. The strong, beautiful, powerful, god-like Prince of the West. And then one day, I was near the palace – I must have been about four or five – and I climbed the wall and peered in and saw you in the courtyard, practicing. And ever since then, I'd wanted to meet you. But…it took me this long to get up the courage to do it." Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly into InuYasha's touch, a pleased rumble sounding in his chest, and his eyes fluttered shut. The half-demon caressed his cheek, his mind scrambling to find a way to prolong this moment. At length, he let his hand drop. "You know…" he began. "I know you have to go back, eventually. But…a little longer out here couldn't hurt, right? I mean…I could show you the world a bit…"

"Would you show me where you grew up?"

"Well…I grew up wandering…but I can show you where I was born, if you like, and where my favorite places to rest are…there's this great hot spring…once you get past the bandits…" Sesshoumaru stood, his brows creasing in indecision. InuYasha got up and offered the demon prince his hand, smiling invitingly. His heart skipped a beat when Sesshoumaru took his hand and glided forward a step to stand beside him.

"Alright, then. As prince I should get to know my land anyways, right?" he agreed. InuYasha beamed.

"Yeah." Still hand-in-hand they walked off together. Sesshoumaru felt his heart flutter with excitement and a slight rebellious thrill. All one-hundred-twenty years of his life had been spent in perfect obedience to his parents, to his role, to social expectations. And now, for the first time in his life, he was casting all that aside and walking away into the forest – holding hands with a **half-demon** at that. And there was not a shadow of a doubt in his mind that this was the right choice.


	3. Firsts

Hey, sorry, everyone. Another transition-y chapter. I promise I WILL get to the plot eventually, it's just taking a bit of set-up. I personally feel like this chapter is kind of awkward and doesn't flow, but I wasn't exactly sure how to do it, because I really want to get the set-up finished with so we can finally get to the plot of this thing! Anyways, here it is. Comments are always welcomed!

* * *

InuYasha and Sesshoumaru stood back to back, surrounded by bandits. The older demon smirked slightly. Out of the five days they'd been traveling, they'd encountered trouble on three of them. It seemed InuYasha had his share of enemies and Sesshoumaru was much less known than he'd thought. And now, finally at the hot springs, they had the bandits to handle.

"They're humans, InuYasha – do you really think they pose any sort of challenge for us?" he drawled slightly. Fighting on his own, InuYasha would've had his reservations about taking on fifteen humans. With Sesshoumaru by his side…well, his worries were considerably fewer. Sesshoumaru stopped smirking and tilted his head thoughtfully. "But I've never fought a human, before. I suppose there are enough of them that I can experiment with it to find the most efficient way of gutting them." With an enraged shout, the bandits attacked, some charging and others firing bows. Sesshoumaru caught an arrow in one hand, a fist in the other. Seamlessly, he dragged the man forward, thrusting the arrow into his throat before dropping him to let him bleed out. InuYasha lunged at the enemies, claws tearing at any part of their flesh he could reach. _Fighting them all by hand is __**definitely**__ not the most efficient way to handle this,_ Sesshoumaru decided as he snapped another bandit's neck. _Ten more…_ Then he recalled a technique he'd learned, mainly used to punish demons of higher power, the Light Whip. _No doubt it would take these humans apart,_ he mused. Experimentally, he flicked his wrist, the whip of light lashing out from his forefingers and slashing across four men's chests – severing them completely in half. _Much better,_ he thought, satisfied. He brought the whip around in a circle, narrowly missing InuYasha, and finished off the rest of the bandits. The half-demon blinked, surprised by the quick finish to the fight as the whip disappeared.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I was experimenting."

"No, **what** was that?"

"My Light Whip." Sesshoumaru lashed it out at some trees to demonstrate. The Hanyou stared in blatant awe.

"It's amazing!"

"I use it to punish demons who misbehave – though it seems to decapitate humans rather well, too. Now…where are these hot springs?" InuYasha glanced around at the dead bodies and winced. This was really a massacre. Then again, these men were bandits who murdered and raped – the world was better off without them.

"Come on." He led Sesshoumaru down the slopes to a hidden hot spring. "See?" He immediately began to divest, but then he noticed Sesshoumaru wasn't doing the same. "Is something wrong?"

"I've never bathed with anyone before."

"Wow, it's just a world of firsts for you, isn't it?" InuYasha paused. "Unless you'd rather I wait until after-"

"It's fine. Bodies are just bodies – there's no real need to be embarrassed about them." And with that, the prince began to disrobe. Honestly, Sesshoumaru was finding himself growing more and more curious about the half-demon the more he learned about him, and by this point, he felt like he wanted to know everything there was to know about his younger half-sibling. InuYasha caught himself staring as his haori slowly slipped down off his shoulders, revealing inch by inch his pale, toned torso; however, he could not bring himself to tear his eyes away from the gorgeous sight before him. He swallowed hard and realized if he wasn't carefully, he'd start literally drooling. _And just how embarrassing would that be?_ He mocked himself, finally managing to turn away and undress. He slid into the water, sighing his contentment.

A soft splash alerted him to the fact that Sesshoumaru had gotten in, and he looked over to see the demon wading out a little bit. He ducked down under the water and then came back up, tossing his head and smoothing back his hair. InuYasha watched as little droplets of water cascaded in rivulets down every, perfect curve and ripple of his muscular chest. The water caught his hair, causing it to pool and swirl around him as he stood there, observing InuYasha. He made his way over to the half demon, reaching out to trace a scar that ran from his right shoulder down to his ribs on his left side. InuYasha prided himself on healing pretty well when he got injured, and not getting very many scars. In fact, he only had that one.

"Where did you get this?" he asked. InuYasha looked down at the scar and then away, biting his lip.

"I don't remember."

"That wasn't a very convincing lie, but if you don't want to talk about it, I won't try to force you. I was just curious," Sesshoumaru assured him. He shot the InuYoukai an apologetic smile as he sat down next to him, leaning against the edge of the hot springs. The demon prince let out a blissful sigh as he settled back to watch the sunset.

Sesshoumaru stared at the food before him. It turned out, InuYasha had one friend – an old, human priestess. Currently they were supposed to be having dinner with her. The only thing for Sesshoumaru was…he'd never had human food, before. Dog demons did not eat vegetables or fruits or starches or any of that. The only sustenance they required was meat, and the occasional soul would serve as a delicacy. And yet here, in this soup, was a mix of vegetables and meat and herbs.

"Trust me, Sessh, it's not bad," InuYasha urged him gently.

"How do you know it's not your human blood that allows you to digest this food?" Sesshoumaru argued. He sniffed it, again. It didn't smell bad, but that didn't mean it wouldn't make him sick if he ate it. The priestess, Kaede, watched in half-amusement, half-surprise.

"I've fed a number of typically carnivorous demons, and they've all been fine," she supplied. Sesshoumaru cast her a dubious glance but then proceeded to eat.

"So you are Lord Sesshoumaru, Prince of the West?" Kaede asked at length. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Well, at least **someone** keeps current with demon politics," he chuckled. "Most people we met didn't even know my father was dead."

"To most, it makes very little difference."

"I was surprised when the demons we met didn't know, though. Those sorts of things are common knowledge in the demon community."

"Perhaps, but with your mother ruling, you haven't had a chance to make much of a name for yourself – not amongst the commoners," Kaede reasoned.

"So I've learned. That will change when I take lordship."

"And what sort of name would you wish for yourself?" That gave Sesshoumaru pause. Then, at length, he decided.

"I want to be a lord known to always do his duty to his people." Kaede's brows lifted and she shot a glance at InuYasha. "Does that answer displease you?"

"No, on the contrary, I am quite pleased with that answer, it was just unexpected. Most people, when speaking of the type of ruler they wish to be, bring up words like merciful, strong, compassionate, wise, just, powerful…I did not expect you to talk about the obligations of being a lord, that's all." They fell into a comfortable silence for the remainder of dinner. Afterward, Sesshoumaru stood.

"I'm stepping out for a bit," he excused himself before walking off. Kaede watched him go and then turned to InuYasha.

"Do you think it's a good idea…what you're doing, InuYasha?" she asked softly.

"What do you mean? Of course it is. He needed to get out…to see the world. He needs to live before he can rule."

"That may be true, but what about when he goes back…do you think he'll keep you with him? He can't, you know."

"I…I know."

"I just don't want to see you hurt, InuYasha. You've been alone enough in life."

"Ah, I'll be fine, old lady. Besides, whatever it is, it's worth it…to see him have all these firsts…" he chuckled, smiling fondly in the direction Sesshoumaru had left. "He's so naïve, in some ways. It's easy to forget that he's not even really considered an adult yet, because he looks so stern so much of the time, but once you pull that way…once he relaxes a little bit…he's not so bad." Kaede nodded slowly.

"I think I'm going to go out after him."

"Yeah, sure." She got up and walked off, worry curving her brow. Despite InuYasha's assurances, she couldn't shake this bad feeling. Sesshoumaru was standing in the grass, staring up at the night sky, a contemplative frown on his face.

"May I do something for you?" he asked as she approached from behind him.

"Would you mind engaging in a conversation with an old woman?" she replied. A slight smile touched his features.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. I've never held an actual conversation with a human before." She blinked. _InuYasha's right, he really has been sheltered his whole life…_

"What do you think of InuYasha?" the question slipped, uncensored from her mouth. Her original intention had been to work her way around to the subject, but somehow she ended up just saying what she wanted to ask, anyways. He looked over at her, brows lifted slightly in surprise. He tilted his head.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, what do you think of him? As a person." He nodded slowly, pondering his response for a long time.

"InuYasha…is the most exhilarating, exciting, entrancing…**likeable** person I've ever met," he concluded at last. "Then again, I haven't met a wide range of people. Mostly they've all been demon lords and aristocracy and their underlings, and they always have a…purpose for interacting with me, a goal they want to achieve. So it's hard to get to know them, at all." A small smile touched his features. "InuYasha is real. He's bold and strong and invigorating and unrefined and…and my first, real friend. Never before has someone treated me like a **person**…an equal. I thought I'd hate it, but somehow…when it's him…I don't."

"How long have you been traveling with him, now?"

"Two weeks."

"And when are you going back?" Sesshoumaru blinked and then shrugged carelessly.

"My mother won't let me inherit for another few decades, anyways. I doubt we'll stay out anywhere near that long. The work I've ever done around the palace was mainly just to keep myself occupied. Other people could've done it. When I'm Lord, I won't do it."

"What will you do?"

"I will oversee my lands directly – as directly as I can. I will see the people, face the challenges head on, not sit behind a desk and let others handle my problems while I issue orders." Kaede nodded.

"And when you go back…what will you do about InuYasha?"

"What do you mean do about him? I'll pardon him for fighting with the guards and give him free reign to come and go as he pleases." Sesshoumaru turned to Kaede and looked her straight in the eye. "Kaede, I have no intention of hurting him or casting him aside after all he's done for me…all he means to me," he assured her seriously. Kaede felt her worry die down a bit, and she smiled.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Come on, we should get back inside."

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky as he felt a raindrop fall on his cheek. It had been thundering for the past hour, and now it had started to drizzle. Sesshoumaru slowed to a stop as more pearly tears fell from the heavens. InuYasha stopped walking, looking back at him.

"There's a cave up that way," he informed the prince, pointing. "If we hurry, we can make it before the worst of the storm arrives."

"I've never been outside in the rain before," Sesshoumaru commented. InuYasha's jaw dropped. _Wow…this is by far one of the most ridiculous things to come out of his mouth. Never? I guess that's the life of a prince…_ "I always loved storms, but Mother would've thrown a fit if I'd gone **out** in one…come on, let's go." They continued up the hill in silence.

"Want to rest up on that hill?"

"Won't we get wet?"

"We're already going to get wet."

"So we can really stay out?" InuYasha laughed aloud at how childish and innocent he sounded.

"Yes, Sessh. You're a big boy. We can stay out in the rain. You're not exactly going to catch your death of cold from staying out in the rain." Sesshoumaru's face broke into a smile and he seized InuYasha's hand.

"Thank you." They got to the top of the hill and stopped as the rain began to pick up. Within minutes it was in a full out storm. Sesshoumaru, leaned his head up and flung his arms out, laughing delightedly. InuYasha chuckled and watched. Of course, he'd been out in **plenty** of storms – enough that it was often seen as more of a bother than anything else, but it wasn't so bad, when you had someone to share it with, when you weren't outside only because no one would take you in. The demon prince spun around, his hair flying out in a wide arc around him as he did so. Suddenly, his foot slipped on the now quite muddy slope and he stumbled. InuYasha caught his hand, steadying him.

"You okay, Princess?"

"Yeah…more than okay. This is amazing…" He sighed and looked up as lightning split the sky. "This is beautiful." InuYasha caught himself staring at Sesshoumaru's face for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah…beautiful," he whispered.

"Thank you, InuYasha," Sesshoumaru murmured, turning to him. "For doing all of this for me. Showing all these beautiful things…all these things I never knew existed. Giving me all these firsts…" InuYasha found himself completely caught up by those beautiful, golden eyes, once so reserved and now so open, and all he could see in them was gratitude and affection. He slid his right hand up to cup Sesshoumaru's cheek, rubbing small circles with his thumb. Slowly, cautiously, he leaned up and pressed his lips to the older demon's own mouth. For a moment, Sesshoumaru was frozen in shock, then he relaxed and pressed back a tiny bit. After a moment, they parted. "That was my first kiss…" the prince whispered.

"Sorry."

"No…don't be sorry. I'm glad it was you. After all…you are my first love."


	4. Sexuality and Repercussions

Hey, everyone, I finally managed to get this story started again. Sorry for stopping in the middle, I just sort of lost it. Note: this part of the story picks up after InuYasha and Sessh have been traveling around together for several months. Anyways, here it is... If you are a leaky faucet (like me) grab a box of tissues.

* * *

To say Sesshoumaru was a sexual being would be like saying the sun rose in the west. It just didn't happen. It wasn't that he hated sexuality. It was merely that he had never been exposed to anything of the sort. Growing up in the palace, with his only excursions were out into the town accompanied by royal guards, he was surrounded by either servants or other nobles – none of which would've even considered even **mentioning** anything sexual around him. He had always considered sex something one simply put up with for the purpose of procreating his or her bloodline. Not once had it been presented to him as something pleasurable. So when he came back from bathing to find InuYasha sitting up against a tree, hakama down around his knees, moaning as he stroked his own member, he was shocked and a little intrigued.

"What are you doing?" he asked, startling the Hanyou. InuYasha jumped and quickly tried to cover himself. "I've already seen you naked, so what's the point of covering yourself?"

"W-well…I – um – I was…" the younger boy stammered. "Y-you don't know?"

"Should I?"

"I thought everyone knew, by the time they'd reached – um – physical maturity." Sesshoumaru frowned, a little stung.

"Well, I don't," he replied defensively, daring InuYasha to take up issue with it. The Hanyou sighed. _How am I going to explain this one?_ He thought helplessly. _I guess there's no way but to just man-up and say it._

"I was masturbating," he explained, praying that Sesshoumaru left it at that. Instead, the demon prince walked over and sat down right beside him.

"What's that?" he asked innocently. "You're really flushed. Are you okay?"

"It's…eh…it's giving yourself sexual gratification…" Now the InuYoukai arched a skeptical eyebrow. "What?"

"So it feels good?"

"Yes."

"Does sex feel good, too, then?" InuYasha's jaw dropped open. _Am I going to have to give him "the talk"?! _he panicked.

"Y-yes."

"Why?"

"I-I don't know, it just does!"

"Have you had sex, before?"

"J-just once."

"With who?" By now, InuYasha's cheeks were bright red, and not because of his recent activities.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. Who was it?"

"I-it was a woman named Kikyo, okay?"

"Did you get her pregnant?"

"No."

"Does that disappoint you?"

"W-what are you talking about? We agreed she should take medication…to keep her from getting pregnant. Look it's really none of your busin-!"

"Yes it is my business. I told you, already, InuYasha. I'm in love with you, so that makes everything about you my business."

"…Sesshoumaru…were you getting jealous?" The prince's cheeks reddened slightly and he looked away. InuYasha sighed. "Look, it didn't work out between us, anyways, so…forget about her, okay?" Sesshoumaru nodded and fell silent, staring intently at InuYasha, who began righting his pants.

"What's it like?" he asked at length.

"What's what like?"

"What's se—"

"Aren't you embarrassed?!" InuYasha cut him off. Sesshoumaru blinked, frowning slightly, his head tilted in confusion.

"No. Should I be?"

"Yes, you should. It's a very…personal thing, we're talking about."

"You seem embarrassed enough for both of us, but really, it's an experience the vast majority of living creatures share – it's hardly anything personal."

"Of course you'd say that…"

"What do you mean, of course I'd say that?" Sesshoumaru felt himself getting defensive again, folding his arms over his chest.

"I just mean…you never seem to get embarrassed about anything. You're always very composed, and you…it makes sense that you still think of sex as just a means to an end…not as something special. I didn't mean it as a bad thing," InuYasha assured him.

"Well, it's only natural for me to think that way. That's what I was taught. My father wasn't around much and Mother doesn't exactly talk about that sort of thing. None of my tutors would dare talk about sexual **experiences** and no one else really ever spoke to me beyond 'Yes, sir,' or 'Your tea, My Lord.' So what else could you expect?"

"Sessh…you're lonely…aren't you?"

"W-what? Where did that come from?" Reaching out with his left, hand – the one that hadn't been used to touch himself – he cupped Sesshoumaru's cheek, smiling a little when the demon lord unconsciously leaned into the touch. "Could it be that you were so uptight all the time because you were lonely?"

"N-no…that's not…" Sesshoumaru trailed off. "That doesn't matter, because I have you, now, right?"

"That's right, Princess." InuYasha leaned forward and kissed him, soft and slow and breathtakingly gentle. "I could teach you," he whispered when it was over.

"Teach me…?"

"About sex…and love. M-may I?" The InuYoukai's heart trembled as he put his arms around the half demon.

"Please…teach me, Sensei…" he breathed.

"Of course, my lord." And that night, InuYasha made slow, passionate love to his princess, and taught him about love and sexuality and tenderness and lust and all those things he'd never known to exist, before. (A/N: yes, Sessh was the uke. I've been trying to switch their roles in this story, so, there you have it.)

Long after Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep, InuYasha lay beside him, head propped up on one elbow. He sighed deeply, reaching out to trace the demon prince's cheek with a single finger. Settling down next to his lover, the Hanyou wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling his neck. _I love you, _ he thought. _Sessh, I love you so much more than you could possibly imagine. I love you…so why do I get this bad feeling in my chest?_

InuYasha looked around, eyes scanning for some fast, easy prey. Sesshoumaru was still asleep from their previous night's activities. _I can't believe I was his first,_ he mused absently. _I mean a beautiful, powerful prince like him…and no one's even tried to seduce him…in one-hundred-twenty years?_ He shook his head. Suddenly, he caught an unfamiliar scent. Well, not completely unfamiliar – he'd smelled it before, but he couldn't place it. Suddenly, someone had grabbed him and pinned him to a nearby tree. He blinked.

"L-Lady Suzumi," he gasped. _What is she doing here?_ he wondered as he struggled to get free. Of course, the powerful InuYoukai didn't even have to strain herself to keep him fixed to the tree. Her eyes were narrowed with hate, her lips drawn into a scowl.

"Are you aware how slippery you are?" she growled. "I've been searching for you ever since you took off with my son."

"Well, you found me. What do you want?"

"I want you to think."

"W-what?" She released him, turning to stare back in the direction of the prince. "What do you mean?"

"Think about Sesshoumaru." InuYasha swallowed hard.

"I-I do think about him."

"No, you're thinking about you. After the novelty of this new world with you wears off – and it will wear off –where do you think that will leave him? He will have nothing but a worthless Hanyou, broken dreams, and a shattered reputation. Being gone so long, people have begun to talk. They besmirch his name, whispering that he is not worthy of ruling their lands, if he would just run off and leave them."

"H-He's not abandoning them! He's just…"

"I know what he's doing. But that's not how it seems, to the people. To his subject, it seems like he's shirking them for personal pleasure. Think, InuYasha. One day, he will have to rule the Western Lands and he will have to produce an heir with a noble – someone of the proper position." The Hanyou's gaze dropped to his feet. "Perhaps it is partially my fault for sheltering him, like this, but this lifestyle…it's not healthy for his future. This is not the solution. Return Sesshoumaru home…where he belongs." InuYasha closed his eyes, hoping it would block out the pain of her words. It didn't.

"H-he won't listen to me…if I tell him that. He'll laugh and say I'm being silly. You should talk to him, not me."

"He will not listen to me, either. Not now that he knows the thrill of disobedience. Not when I'm telling him to leave a life like this. I won't repeat myself, so if you care for Sesshoumaru at all…you will end this…whatever this is." And with that, she turned and walked away. InuYasha stared after her, his chest painfully tight. Weakly, he slumped back against the tree and slid to the ground, holding his head in his hands. _Kami, what have I done? How do I fix this? I never…I never meant to hurt him. Is that what I'm doing now?_ He remembered how Sesshoumaru had always taken pride in doing his duty, how his eyes had lit up when he spoke about what kind of leader he wanted to be for his people. He took a deep, shuddering breath. _I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. Your mother is right…_

Sesshoumaru awoke to find himself alone. He frowned and sat up, inhaling deeply. InuYasha's scent was still there, so he hadn't been gone long. _Bathing, maybe?_ He wondered. _I should probably do the same._ He stood to get changed, but when he picked up his clothes, he noticed a letter lying there. Puzzled, he picked it up and opened it.

"Sesshoumaru: It took longer to get into your pants than I thought it would. Sorry I led you on like this. I've moved on and so should you. Go back home. I never want to see your face, again, you arrogant bastard.

-InuYasha."

The demon prince stared at the note. _Is this a joke? I-it must be…there's no way…no he…_ In an instant, he had his clothes on and was taking off, following the Hanyou's scent. He caught up with him about half a mile away. The younger was walking away, doing his best not to break down in tears. With each step, he told himself it was better, this way, better for Sesshoumaru.

"InuYasha!" Sesshoumaru called. When he didn't turn around, the InuYoukai darted forward and grabbed him by his shoulders, spinning him to face him. "What are you doing?" he demanded. _Please…Sessh…just go away. Don't put us both through this any more than we have to…_ InuYasha silently pleaded.

"What part of 'I never want to see your face again, you arrogant bastard' did you not get?" InuYasha spat with as much venom as he could. He saw the prince – his beloved prince – cringe, a look of hurt flashing over his face. "Get over it, Princess. It was just a little fling. Really, I don't have time for you to cling to me like a weepy girl." Sesshoumaru released him, a look of anguish and shock transforming his features. _No…Sessh…I never wanted to see you like this._ InuYasha almost broke then. He longed to take his lover into his arms and cradle him against his chest and tell him he was sorry and that he didn't mean a word of it. _But I can't. For his sake, I have to end this, and the only way to end this is to cut it off as cleanly as I can._

"Y-you…you don't mean that."

"I do. It was fun. Look, it's nothing personal. Just go home…rule the West…fulfill your dreams. You and I…we had fun, but that's all it was." With that he turned, and hurried away, putting as much distance between him and Sesshoumaru as he could. As he fled, a long, pitiful, broken howl reached his ears, tore at his heart, and he could no longer stop the tears from coming.


	5. Grief

Sorry for the wait on the update - I've been way caught up in school stuff, and unfortunately my academic career comes before my fanfictions. Anyways, here it is. I swear, eventually things get better, I just don't believe in stories that are all sunshine and daisies.

* * *

Sesshoumaru sat in his room, huddled on the bed, eyes red with crying. His hands continuously stroked his swollen stomach in small, soothing circles. It had been three months since he returned home, two months since he'd found out he was pregnant with InuYasha's child. Demon pregnancies generally didn't last as long as human ones. He was due to give birth in only two months. He wiped his eyes, reminding himself that he didn't need to cry over InuYasha, anymore. The Hanyou had moved on, he would, too. A knock on the door startled him from his thoughts. He wiped his cheeks and put on his best, indifferent mask.

"Enter," he called. A young serving girl came in, bearing a tray of tea. She glided forward to set it on his nightstand.

"The palace healer said it would help ease your symptoms," she murmured shyly. Only four people other than Sesshoumaru knew about his pregnancy: his mother, the palace healer, his errand girl, and the captain of the guard.

"My symptoms are fine," Sesshoumaru muttered, turning his eyes to the window. In order to keep his secret, he hadn't gone outside since he'd started to show.

"My Lord," the girl whispered timidly. "May I…touch…it?" Now Sesshoumaru's full gaze turned to her, stabbing right through her. She cringed. "I-I'm sorry, I-!"

"Fine."

"W-what?"

"Go ahead. If you want, I can appoint you to be her caretaker, when she is born."

"She?"

"I can feel it's a she." A small, chilly hand came to rest on his stomach, rubbing slow circles. "Why can't I hate her? I had the choice…have…the choice…of getting rid of her. So why didn't I?" he mused aloud. The girl looked up at him, shocked.

"My Lord…you cannot hate her because she is your daughter." Sesshoumaru blinked. He hadn't been asking for an answer. Then he nodded. _And what about __**him**__? What about the one that did this to me? Can I hate him? _He pressed a hand to his chest. _I must._ "What will you name her?" the servant girl asked.

"I like the name Hisoka." (A/N: I am pretty sure this is a unisex name – if it's a guys name or whatever, please inform me.)

"Hisoka…that's pretty."

"What's your name, girl?"

"Aiko, My Lord."

"Aiko…hm."

"Would you like me to pour you that tea, My Lord?"

"Yes. I think I would." Aiko poured the tea for him. He sipped it, pleasantly surprised that, unlike the other herbs and teas the palace healer gave him, it tasted quite nice, sort of minty and refreshing. Sesshoumaru continued to sip the tea while Aiko rubbed his stomach. Suddenly, she gasped.

"I felt her move!" she cried softly, delighted.

"Is that so?"

"Mhm!" Sesshoumaru sighed. _What will she look like? Will she have InuYasha's ears? Will she remind me of him? Will I hate looking at her? _"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Yes?"

"I arranged so that the garden would be completely emptied, if you want, so you can go outside." Sesshoumaru blinked.

"Yes…I would like that." He got out of bed and let her lead him out to the garden. The demon prince breathed a sigh of relief. After spending so long in his room, it felt nice to be outside, again. He inhaled deeply, tipping his face to the sky.

"Would you like to take your dinner out here?"

"Yes, I think so." He stretched, the joints in his back and shoulders popping. "Actually…bring me something to eat now…I get so hungry nowadays." Aiko bowed and hurried off. Sesshoumaru sat down and combed his fingers through his hair. He felt like screaming and sobbing and throwing things. _That's just the hormones,_ he told himself, forcing his emotions under control. _Once this is over, you'll be back to your normal, controlled self. This is all just in your head, so calm down._

"Sesshoumaru," a soft voice murmured. He looked up.

"Mother." She sat down next to him.

"That girl, Aiko, she seems to care a lot about you. Do you want me to have her made your personal servant?"

"No – I'd rather her keep her current position. I don't really want to be bothered with an over-affectionate servant following me around all the time." Suzumi glanced over at her son and frowned. She could see the hurt in him, the anguish, smoothed over by a carefully kept mask. She may be harsh, but this is not what she wanted for her son. Of course, she also hadn't known that he was pregnant with InuYasha's child, when she forced them apart. Still, even after she found out, she'd been hard-pressed to believe her son wouldn't just get over it. After all, the mutt was just a Hanyou, nothing significant – Sesshoumaru shouldn't have been so attached to him. _Did I miscalculate? Well…what's there to do about it now? What's done is done. He will recover, _she told herself.

"How's the baby?" she asked at length.

"Well, if she doesn't kill me before she's born, she'll be just fine."

"You know, in a few weeks, your body's going to start making some changes to support her, once she's born."

"I know."

"…Why did you choose to keep her?" It wasn't that Suzumi expected otherwise of her son – no mother could kill her child – but she wanted to know what had been going through his head, at the time.

"I…don't know. I made the conscious decision to…several times…I contemplated different ways of doing it, but every time…I just couldn't."

"Do you want to raise her or will you-?"

"I want to raise her." Suzumi blinked at the conviction in his voice.

"Alright. Look…I – well – I came out here today to tell you something."

"What?"

"About the Hanyou."

"…What do I care?"

"He was fighting a half-demon named Naraku, and he was sealed…to the trunk of the Tree of Ages."

"So?"

"I just…thought you might want to know."

"You thought wrong." Suzumi sighed and stood, patting her son's shoulder before walking off. Sesshoumaru stood, catching his lower lip between his teeth. Slowly he stood. _The Tree of Ages – that's by that old woman, Kaede's, place._ Resting a hand on his stomach he looked down at the growing body within him.

"I guess you should meet your father at least once, hm?" Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he surrounded himself with his Ki and took off, a mere blur of blue light. Suzumi watched from a window. A soft sigh escaped her lips. _I'm sorry, my son,_ she thought sadly. _I never wanted this for you._

Sesshoumaru touched down in front of the Tree of Ages. There was InuYasha, held their by an arrow in his left shoulder, chest rising and falling in slow, deep breaths. He looked to be sleeping. He had tearstains on his cheeks. _Why were you crying?_ Sesshoumaru wondered. _Who could make you cry?_ He glided forward until he was right up in front of the Hanyou. His hand lifted of his own accord to touch his cheek.

"Why…InuYasha…After everything you did to me…despite how much I hate you…why must I still love you?" he whispered, a tear spilling down his cheek. He sniffed slightly in an attempt to fight down the urge to cry. "Why is it…that I feel sad…seeing you like this? Why is it that I want to touch you, to hold you and be held by you, still?" More tears, faster. Breathing harder, more ragged. "Why?!" He slammed his fist into the tree, narrowly missing the half-demon's head. "Why am I like this?!" He went weak, slumping forward to rest his forehead on his ex-lover's shoulder. "I-I am Prince Sesshoumaru of the West, Heir to the Great Dog Demon…I should not be like this. I am composed. I am strong. I am **not** this. Why did you do this to me? Are you satisfied now? Did it make you happy to see me like this? Did you know I'm pregnant…with your child? Did that thought even occur to you when you took me? Did you care? It w-was your plan from the beginning, right? It was all so you could take me. And you did. You took all of me. I have nothing left for myself, anymore."

His voice broke and he stopped speaking, trying his best to at least seem as composed as he could make himself. _This Sesshoumaru does not cry. This Sesshoumaru is above this, but I…I can't help it. Why does it have to hurt so much?_ At long length he stopped crying. Not bothering to wipe away his tearstains, he straightened. Leaning in, he left a long, cold kiss on the boy's lips, and when he drew away, his face was stony.

"Goodbye, InuYasha," he monotoned. Then he turned and left.

* * *

Yes, I know "monotoned" is not a real word, but I believe in fiddling with the grammar rules and parts of speech and the like, so there is it – it means to say something monotonously, if you couldn't pick that up.


	6. Birth

A week before his due date, Sesshoumaru disappeared. Of course, Suzumi had expected as much, but it didn't keep her from worrying when it happened. She sent out the guards to look for him and even searched herself, but to no avail. Wherever he had chosen to go for the birthing, it was well-hidden and secluded. So Lady Suzumi of the West was able to only pace in her room and worry as her son gave birth to his daughter, alone.

Sesshoumaru had found the perfect spot. It was a cave with an underground pool in the back. For the week before he would give birth to his pup, he pushed aside the pain and weariness and prepared the place as best he could – using moss and grass to provide a soft bedding, stocking up food, getting extra cloth to wash the baby. Everything he could think off. And now he sat alone, pain stabbing through his midsection. He had wanted to be alone for this. He carried this child and he could birth it on his own. He wanted to be the first to see her, to hold her, to speak to her. He didn't want his mother or the healer or Aiko or anyone sitting there touching him, speaking to him, even watching him, while he did this.

Exhaling deeply, he recovered from the previous contraction. He had already removed his clothes and settled himself for a long, hard night. His recently-swollen breasts felt chilly. They weren't as large as a woman's – for that he was glad – but they were larger, softer, more sensitive, than he was used to. The discomfort was forgotten as another contraction took him. _She's coming…_

"Hisoka…please be patient with me," he whispered. "I'm kind of new at this. All I've done is read books, so…this is a first for me in real life." He threw his head back as pain washed over him, again. "Ready?" He felt her drop lower. "Yeah, me too…" He moaned softly and pushed, trying to be gentle as to not hurt the baby's head. Breathe. Push. Breathe. Push. Breathe. **Push**. He moaned and the baby slid into his waiting hands. Chuckling his relief he cut the umbilical cord, dragged his unwilling body to his feet, and went to wash himself and the baby, who was wailing relentlessly. "Shhh my love…I know…shhhh…" He held her and rocked her and once he was done cleaning her he guided her to his nipple. Only once she was suckling did he take time to take in what she looked like.

Thick, silver hair. Her eyes were still shut, puppies didn't open their eyes for a few days. And pressed back against her head were two, white puppy ears. She was so small and delicate, he felt like he would crush her if he wasn't extremely careful. Weakly, he slumped to the ground.

"We did it, Hisoka. You and me…we did this," he whispered. Relief washing over him, he let his head lean back against the stone wall. "I'm glad I can finally see you, musume." (A/N: I think that's daughter in Japanese.) He bent his head to kiss her head before at last relenting to his body's demands and falling asleep himself.

The next day, he was back on his feet. After all, being a demon, he didn't take too much time to recover. After feeding Hisoka again, he headed home. The second he came through the gates, his mother was there.

"Where were you?!" she demanded. "Do you realize how worried I was?!" Sesshoumaru shot her a glare and she lowered her voice. "I don't think I've been more nervous in my whole life…may I see her?" Sesshoumaru held his daughter a little closer. "I'll just look. Oh…she has those ears."

"She's perfect," the new "mother" replied defensively. Suzumi didn't dare argue, at this point, so she just nodded.

"Why don't you go on up to your room and get some rest?" The prince nodded and went up to his room, his mother in tow. "How will you explain her? Will you say you have adopted her?" This gave Sesshoumaru pause. Then, pulling a perfectly impassive mask, he nodded.

"Yes. I will say I found her."

"So you will see no one until she's done nursing?"

"Indeed." Suzumi bowed her head in consent and left, shutting the door behind her. _When did I stop being able to see through his mask?_ She wondered sadly.

Sesshoumaru crawled into bed, holding Hisoka close. He felt like if he let her go for even a moment, she, too, would leave him. He wasn't about to suffer that. He wasn't going to lose her like he had InuYasha. The prince kissed the infant's head.

"I love you, Hisoka. So please…never leave me." The girl cooed softly and grabbed onto a strand of his hair, her eyes still tightly shut. "Learn the scent of me and never stray too far from it. Let me protect you." Then, succumbing to the weariness again, he curled his body protectively around that of his daughter and slipped back into slumber. When he awoke, new cloth had been brought to wrap the child and tea had been left covered on his nightstand. Also there was a little, silver bracelet he'd seen Aiko wearing, before. There was also a note, painstakingly written in wobbly handwriting saying how beautiful Hisoka was and wishing them both the best, signed Aiko.

* * *

Short scene, but I didn't think it belonged as part of the next chapter like I'd originally planned, so here it is.


	7. Man I Once Knew

Hisoka grew fast. Sesshoumaru, to stay out of the public eye during the nursing period, went to live in an estate on the seaside. The infant, like most demon children, nursed for about a year before she was completely weaned and eating meat. Like her father and "mother" she had bright, gold eyes. On her forehead was the blue crescent her father had, but none of his other markings. Even after her year of nursing was up, Sesshoumaru stayed at the beach with her, their only company being Aiko, who had come to attend him. In fact, he stayed for ten years, until the girl could walk and talk. His mother came to visit him often enough, but for a demon, ten years wasn't all that long.

On a warm, summer day in the tenth year, the demon prince returned, his daughter in tow. At the council meeting, he announced he'd adopted the child as his own. And after that, she was constantly by his side. She didn't seem to mind staying in his office, drawing for hours on end while he did work. Nor did she mind sitting quietly in his lap or at his feet when he was at meetings. Within a few days of her arrival, it became obvious that the demon prince would not tolerate anyone even **looking** at her the wrong way.

Also, over when he returned, he had become even more sealed off to the rest of the world. Those that used to be able to read him were now completely clueless to what he was thinking or how he was feeling. He was cold and distant to everyone – except in those rare moments alone with his daughter, away from prying eyes. He even went as far as to tell his daughter to call him "Lord Sesshoumaru" in public.

"Okasama," she whispered one night, as they lay curled up in bed. (A/N: yes, she calls him mother because he was the uke – if Sesshoumaru had stayed with Inu, she'd have called him Otosan, father.)

"Yes, Hisoka?" he replied, keeping his eyes shut. Her small hand found his bare chest and pawed at it thoughtfully.

"Are you sad here?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know…you just…seem sad."

"I'm fine, my sweet." He kissed her forehead. "Thank you for your concern."

"…Do I have a daddy?" He opened his eyes, now. "That girl – Aiko-san has two parents. I only have one…why?"

"You only have one, because we don't need another," Sesshoumaru replied at length.

"Why do you sometimes cry at night…after you think I go to sleep? It happens more at this place than it did the other one."

"I'm sorry, dear." He offered her a small smile.

"I don't like it here…this place makes Okasama sad."

"Shhh…no, it doesn't. This is our home. When you get a little older, we'll go out more. Don't worry." She nodded and buried her face into his chest, her eyelashes tickling him as they fluttered shut. He combed his fingers through her smooth, silvery hair, closing his eyes to signal the conversation was over, and she was to go to sleep. It already brushed the middle of her back, curling just a little at the ends.

"I love you," the little girl whispered.

"I love you, too," Sesshoumaru replied just as softly. He waited for a long time before opening his eyes. He kissed the tip of one of her white, puppy-like ears. When she didn't giggle as she was prone to do when he kissed her there, he deemed her asleep and continued to shower her head and ears with adoring kisses. _I love you so much, so please…please don't leave me,_ he prayed silently. He felt a tear roll down his cheek and froze. _Why are you getting choked up like this, Sesshoumaru? It's been ten years – more than ten years – you've gotten over it. So why…lying here to do you feel so despondent?_ A soft, warm tongue ran up his cheek, gathering up the tear.

"Okosama," Hisoka sighed softly. "Do you miss my daddy?" Sesshoumaru swallowed hard and then looked down at her.

"Yes, my dear. I miss him." And that was the truth. The first time he'd been honest about InuYasha. He missed him so much it was unbearable. He missed the InuYasha he remembered. The warm, smiling, open, wild, bold, brilliant InuYasha he'd spent five months following around the countryside. He missed his laugh – even if it was too loud sometimes – and his eyes and his loving embrace and his teasing remarks. _Stop this Sesshoumaru,_ he lectured himself. _He's gone. He left you. He betrayed you. After all that. So stop crying over him!_ But still the tears came.

"What happened to him? Where is he?"

"…He's gone." _The InuYasha I knew does not exist. The man once knew – Kami this is ridiculous. _

"Gone?"

"Yes…I don't even know if he ever really existed." Hisoka nodded wisely, not understanding at all what her "mother" meant. She continued to lick as Sesshoumaru's cheeks until he stopped crying. Then, nuzzling under his chin affectionately, she fell asleep. Sesshoumaru smiled weakly. _At least I have you, Hisoka…my Hisoka._

"Hisoka-chan," Lady Suzumi murmured. "Why are you not with my son, today?" The girl was sitting by herself in the garden dutifully studying. Normally, Sesshoumaru was there teaching her, this time of day, but today she was alone.

"Lady Suzumi!" the girl chirped, looking up. "Okosama said he was going for a walk, today and wanted me to stay home and study…I wish he let me come with him, like usual."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No." She stared back down at the page. "Um…can you tell me what this word means? I don't understand it…" Suzumi nodded and bent to help the girl. _He raises her so strictly. So much studying and training. Still, I suppose it was the same way with him, and it will help her grow strong and disciplined…I hope. Now, if I only knew where Sesshoumaru was…_

The demon prince – soon to be Lord of the West – was standing in front of the Tree of Ages, his face stony. He took a step forward and grabbed the arrow. _I want answers. I want to know why? Did he really just want to be able to say he got my first time? No one goes through everything he went through just for that. And no one's that good of an actor, dammit. He had to have actually…there had to be some reason…_He pulled on the arrow, but it didn't budge.

"You idiot," he growled at the Hanyou pinned to the tree. "You're not allowed to just go getting yourself sealed, like this! I need answers!" Silence. He pulled, again. "Wake up!" Nothing. Sighing, he gave up, letting his hand drop. He jumped up onto a branch and settled down on it, glancing sideways at his former lover. "I hate you. But I love Hisoka. Did you even consider that I might get pregnant? Probably not – you probably didn't know I could. She's amazing…she has your ears…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "When you left me…it crushed me. But…you know they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And I didn't die…I thought I would, sometimes. I don't know if it's possible, to die of grief…of loneliness…of anger and sorrow and loss, but if it were possible…I had to be pretty close. Some days, it was only Hisoka that kept me alive." He glared at the Hanyou, again. "Wake up! You idiot!"

He didn't really know why he wanted InuYasha to wake up. Most of him thought he would like to beat submission into the jerk that did this to him. He wanted to be the one to kill him…nice and slow. But he couldn't – not while he was like this. Another part of him wanted answers. For some reason, he could never wrap his head around what had happened that night. It was all too sudden, too extreme a change. Had he really just been tricked so thoroughly? He was a politician, he was more shrewd than that, right? What he did **not** know was that for all the pain and heartbreak, he could not stop loving InuYasha. He hated him enough to want to kill him. But he loved him, too. What Sesshoumaru did not know was that he wanted more than anything, still, for InuYasha to open his eyes, burst out into tears, and tell him it was all a mistake.

"Eleven years ago…exactly…to this day…" Sesshoumaru continued, his voice much lower. "You tore my heart out. Would stabbing you do any good, right now?" He scoffed and shook his head. "No. It wouldn't hurt you. You wouldn't bleed. I'd pull my sword out of you, and you'd be fine. You wouldn't scream…nothing would happen. No matter what I do, I can't reach you, now. Hit you, scream at you, kiss you…I could do anything to you and you wouldn't react or even know what was happening." Suddenly, he caught a scent and stood up, his eyes narrowing. It was a demon – no, a half demon – and it was coming closer. Swiftly, he hid himself, moving upwind and tucking his aura into himself so the newcomer wouldn't sense him. Said newcomer was dressed in a white pelt with a baboon mask. He came forward and looked around before turning to InuYasha.

"Hah, InuYasha. I'm surprised at you. You talk such a big game, but even after all this time, you couldn't free yourself. All it took…for me to beat you…I wonder if he knows…how much it broke your heart to hurt him. Do you think he would still value the love of a worthless Hanyou – after all he **is** the Prince of the West. Assuming his form was a stab in the dark but you fell so quickly after that. You couldn't even bring yourself to hit me when you **knew** it was just an illusion…pathetic. But alas, InuYasha…it doesn't feel like enough. I keep wishing you'd free yourself so that I could truly break you. I want to break you so completely that you wouldn't even recognize the man you loved all this time. I will do it. You have my word."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. What was this Hanyou talking about? Had he seriously come just to gloat? And what did he mean it broke **InuYasha's** heart? And assuming his form? Was he a shape-shifter? And he was the one that did this to InuYasha. Sesshoumaru stepped into view, his eyes narrowed with wrath.

"You're Naraku?" he asked icily. The half demon spun.

"Lord Sesshoumaru – it **is **a pleasure." Before he could get any more out, Sesshoumaru lashed at him with his whip of light. Naraku dodged. "Is that how you treat all your subjects, My Lord?" The prince, not one much for talking, just attacked again. Frowning, Naraku shifted, suddenly looking like InuYasha. Sesshoumaru scoffed and attacked with renewed vigor. Seeing this clearly wasn't working and he wasn't about to win against the pissed-off demon lord, Naraku fled, disappearing before Sesshoumaru could kill him.

"Well…" he muttered. "I suppose that's that." Casting a final glance back at InuYasha, he turned and headed back home. Hisoka ran to greet him as he came through the gates.

"Welcome home, Lord Sesshoumaru," she chirped. "I studied, just like you told me to!"

"Very good, Hisoka," he praised, bending to kiss her head, provoking a giggle from her. She seized his hand.

"I picked you some flowers and put them in your room. Want to see?"

"Alright. Calm down. I'm coming." The prince let her lead him off through the halls back to his room, where she had collected a large bouquet of flowers from the garden and put them in a vase by the bed. He smiled. "Thank you, Hisoka. That was sweet of you."

"Next time, will you take me with you, Okasama?"

"Yes…yes, I will."

"Where did you go?"

"To visit someone."

"A friend?"

"…No. No just a man I once knew."


	8. A Chance Encounter

InuYasha slowly became aware of the breeze on his face. Warm, gentle. The rustling of trees and grass. He inhaled – the forest, the animals…a demon nearby. _S-Sesshoumaru?_ He thought weakly. His eyes snapped open and he turned. Pain seared through his shoulder. He was held to a tree by an arrow there. And beside him, sitting on a branch with a wide-eyed, curious stare, was a young girl. She appeared be about seven in human years, though her long, silvery hair and bright, gold eyes gave her away as a demon. On her head were perched two, white, puppy ears. _What the…?_ He thought.

"You woke up," the girl noted. "I'm Hisoka."

"InuYasha," the Hanyou introduced himself. "What are you doing here, Hisoka?"

"Okasama told me to wait by the well…but I smelled you and went to find you. Sometimes, Okasama comes home smelling like you."

"What?" The girl smiled at him. "Look I really…don't know you." _She looks and smells like Sesshoumaru. How long have I been asleep? Has he already taken a mate and had a child? That's good…if he's happy, now. But why would his mate ever be near me? No, maybe she's his younger sister or something._

"That arrow…does it hurt?"

"Huh? Y-yeah…duh…" She reached out and grabbed it to pull it out. Before she could do that, however, it simply disintegrated in her hand. She lost her balance, toppling forward. InuYasha caught her as he, too, dropped to the ground, landing softly in the grass.

"Thank you, InuYasha!" she giggled.

"How old are you?"

"Fifty!"

"Look, Hisoka…you should get back to the well, or your mother will worry about you. Come on, I'll walk with you." Nearby, he could smell death. A fight had – or was in he process of – taking place. _Which is of course why this girl was left alone._ "Do you get left alone a lot?"

"Only when Okasama has to fight someone."

"Is that a lot?"

"No, mostly people are too scared to fight Okasama…"

"Who is your mother?"

"Okasama is-!"

"Hisoka?!" a clearly anxious yet unmistakable voice rang out. InuYasha froze. Sesshoumaru stepped into view. A brief look of shock passed over his face, then it was gone, and he was perfectly unreadable. InuYasha swallowed hard. _W-what is this? He…_ "Hisoka come here." The girl ran to Sesshoumaru, flinging her arms around his waist.

"Welcome back, Okasama!" _Wait…she's calling __**him**__ mother? How? I-is that even possible? Oh, Kami, look at him. This isn't what I wanted for him. It's all wrong. He's so…cold and distant…I thought…I never thought it would be like this. _

"I told you to wait by the well."

"I know but…"

"But nothing. You will be disciplined according to your actions." The girl's puppy ears drooped and she hung her head.

"I'm sorry, Okasama." She lifted up onto her toes and Sesshoumaru bent so she could lick the underside of his chin in apology. "I won't do it again." _If __**he's**__ her mother…there's no way…no, there's no way I've been pinned fifty years and she's…she's mine…_

"Sesshoumaru-!"

"That's **Lord** Sesshoumaru, The Great Dog Demon, Lord of the West, to you, you filthy **half-breed**."

"L-Lord Sesshoumaru…may I ask how long I've been sealed to the Tree of Ages?" he asked, taking a defensive step back.

"About fifty years."

"Is she…Sesshoumaru, there's no way that Hisoka is…is mine…is there?" he choked on the words multiple times, trying to get them out. The demon lord's eyes narrowed.

"Despite your biological contribution to her existence, InuYasha, Hisoka is in no way yours," he spat out. InuYasha cringed. _Oh, Kami, this is not how I wanted things to turn out. He's so much older…so much sterner. He's not at all the excitable teen I knew. He's all grown up and bitter. Because of me? Kami, because of me! What do I do? What __**can**__ I do? It's too late, now._ He lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured, taking another step back.

"Sorry? **Now** you're sorry?" Sesshoumaru drawled, his voice holding none of the anger of his words. "How amusing." The Hanyou swallowed hard, his head bowing, his fists clenching.

"I didn't know…it would be like this." Then, unable to take any more of his ex-lover's dispassionate stare, he turned and fled. To hide the despair in his heart, Sesshoumaru painted a careful sneer on his face as he stared at InuYasha's retreating back for a second time in his life. Then, resuming an impassive face, he turned to his daughter.

"What were you doing anywhere near him?" he growled.

"I smelled him, and I thought sometimes Okasama smells like him, so I thought…I thought I should go meet him…if he was a friend of Okasama."

"I told you to stay by the well. Do you realize how worried I was about you? Even if I could smell you were safe…" he trailed off into a long, deep sigh and turned to walk away. "Come on." He inhaled deeply and smelled salt. "Hisoka…don't cry." She blinked.

"B-but I made you upset," she explained. He bent and scooped her up, cradling her against his chest as he licked away her tears.

"I love you, my dear. So please don't cry, anymore." She nodded and buried her face in his shoulder. "Besides, you are Princess of the West, you must guard your tears and keep them secret except from a special few." He felt her nod, again. "Good, my dear." They got back to the well, and he set her down. Suddenly, another scent caught his nose. Almost like InuYasha…but something was off about it.

"Okasama…what's wrong?" Hisoka asked.

"Get behind me, Hisoka. I'm not sure what it is, yet." He turned to find himself facing someone who appeared to be InuYasha. His eyes narrowed. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"What do you mean, who am I? I-it's me. InuYasha. I came…" The imposter hung his head, now. "I came to apologize. All these years…" Before he could finish, Sesshoumaru had lashed out with his Whip of Light. The imposter dodged…but too slow.

"You're not InuYasha – I can smell the difference – so why don't you try the truth this time?" The body morphed into that of another demon. Sesshoumaru frowned and took in the new scent. Make that a half-demon. He had long, coal-black hair and narrow, ruby eyes, and he smelled absolutely repulsive. A wicked sneer distorted his features.

"I am Naraku, it's a pleasure to meet you at last **Lord Sesshoumaru**." He gave a mock bow. "But I'm afraid we aren't going to get along." With that, tentacles exploded from his back and raced towards Sesshoumaru. Snarling, the demon lord slashed at them, severing them completely, and leapt at his opponent. He had only made it halfway to Naraku when a shriek stopped him and he spun. The ends of the tentacles, even disembodied, were moving and now grabbing Hisoka. Instantly, he changed his plan, lunging for his daughter. Panic welled up in his chest. _Hisoka! Hisoka Hisoka HisokaHisokaHisoka!_ Before he could reach her, though, the tentacles had returned to the half demon, who, with a sneer, was gone just like that. It had ended as abruptly as it had started. Sesshoumaru's heart froze. Then, he was all fury. Who dared touch **his** daughter?! Determined, he took off after the fading scent of Naraku.

Naraku sat in his palace. The girl was locked up in the dungeon, probably crying and in a state of shock. He didn't really care. She was, after all, only a lure to get InuYasha. And by the way InuYasha had faltered, last fight, when he'd assumed Sesshoumaru's form, the boy would definitely come for the child – which might be his – of the man he loved. Now it was just a matter of waiting. He was fairly confident that the **very** angry demon lord wouldn't be able to find him – and even if he did, there was little he could do while Naraku held his daughter. _I hold all the cards,_ he thought, immensely satisfied with his cunning.

Meanwhile, a certain demon lord came upon the palace. Crossing through Naraku's barrier had been nothing for him. Tucking his aura deeper into himself to keep from being detected, he came closer. There seemed to be only one guard at the gate – a woman demon with her black hair pulled into a bun. In her hand, she held a fan. She saw Sesshoumaru and approached him. The Great Dog Demon moved his hand to kill her, but she stopped him by falling to her knees.

"Please…Lord Sesshoumaru. Do not kill me. I will tell no one of your presence." Silence. "I am Kagura. Naraku imprisons me against my will. I long only to be free of that scum." Sesshoumaru nodded slowly.

"Alright then, Kagura. I will let you live. If you want to help, you may tell me where the dungeons are."

"Are you not going to confront Naraku himself?"

"I cannot kill him while he holds my daughter. He would certainly use her as leverage." Sesshoumaru offered her a thin smile. "After I have my daughter in my hands, I will take great pleasure in tearing that man's heart out and crushing it in my fingers." She nodded.

"Come. This way." Warily, the InuYoukai followed her down to the dungeon, breathing a sigh of relief when he caught scent of his daughter. Quickening his steps, he hurried to her cell and grabbed the bars. The girl was huddled in the corner, her head down, her knees tucked up, her arms wrapped around her, but she seemed unhurt.

"Hisoka," he called gently, breathing a sigh of relief. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up, running to him.

"Okasama!" she cried. He held a finger to his lips and she clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in fear. "You came to get me," she whispered after they were sure no one was coming.

"Yes, my love. Of course I did." He turned to Kagura. "Do you have the keys?" The she-demon shook her head.

"He doesn't trust me that much. In fact, I must go or my absence will be noticed." He nodded and she hurried off. Sesshoumaru turned back to the bars, shrugged and grabbed. His poison seeped out from beneath his nails, eating the bar away until there was nothing but a stump left. Hisoka slipped through the gap in the bars and hugged him tightly. He lifted her up, hugging her tightly.

"What do we do now?" the little girl whispered. "Are we going to get the guy that took me?" Her father shook his head. "Not now." He was more concerned about getting his daughter to safety, first.

"Come on." Stealthily, he made his way back up the stairs. However, just as he was about to leave, he caught another scent. _InuYasha…_Mystified, he made his way towards it until he came to a door. Pressing himself against the wall, he listened to the voices inside.

"I've come to make a deal," InuYasha declared. _What?_ "Leave Lord Sesshoumaru and his daughter alone – for life – and I will turn myself over to you. I'll do whatever you want." Sesshoumaru froze, shocked, his eyes wide.

"…Is that so? And why would you do that, InuYasha? You've always been self serving," Naraku sneered elegantly.

"Because I love him. Look, think about it. You get what you want – me – and I get what I want – a guarantee of his and his daughter's safety." _Loves me? No…if he loved me he would never have left…_

"You love him? Then tell me. Why did you yank out his heart and crush it into the dust?" the evil Hanyou taunted. InuYasha took a deep, controlled breath, forcing down the pain, and went along with it. The only way he would get Sesshoumaru and his daughter out of this situation with Naraku was to cooperate fully.

"I-I didn't know it would be like this," he admitted bitterly. "I thought what he had for me was…curiosity and rebelliousness and…and a marvel at the novelty of it. And once the newness of it wore off he would be left with nothing but a broken dreams, a shattered reputation…and a worthless Hanyou. People were talking poorly about him – they might not have let him rule or something. I…I thought it was best…for him. I thought he would just go on and be happy. Honestly, walking away from him was the hardest thing I'd ever done." Sesshoumaru's chest clenched painfully. _He thought…he did that…f-for me? Why would he think that? I loved him. I told him I loved him? Couldn't he see that nothing else mattered?_ "If I told him that, though, he'd have just laughed it off and told me nothing else mattered. But that's not true. His future mattered. The way his whole face would like up when he talked about his duty to his people…it was his passion…and I couldn't take that away from him…I just realized it all too late."

"That is just sad. So the little girl is yours, lover boy?"

"I have no right to her. She is his."

"Hm. How noble. Well, alright then. I accept your offer, InuYasha. Escort yourself to my dungeon to wait for me to finish dinner and be ready," he paused for a lewd chuckle. "For dessert." InuYasha went to the door and opened it.

"Yes, sir." He shut the door and before he could move onwards, Sesshoumaru had glided forward and clamped a hand around his throat. He squeezed until he felt the body go slack. Shifting Hisoka into one arm, he scooped up InuYasha with the other and tossed him over his shoulder. Then, he ran off, hoping to slip away before he was noticed. _There's a remarkable lack of guards around here,_ he noted idly. _Of course, I doubt he has many people he can trust. That Kagura woman said he bound her, somehow – I suppose it makes sense then that he doesn't have any guards. Does that mean he really relies on that barrier, all the time?_ Once outside the barrier, he surrounded them in his Ki and put as much distance between him and the palace as he could. _Now, InuYasha…now you will finally give me answers…_


	9. Never Again

InuYasha groaned and opened his eyes. He was in a forest. What had happened? He remembered going to Naraku to make a deal. _"Escort yourself to my dungeon to wait for me to finish dinner and be ready for dessert."_ He had bowed and gone to obey, but…

"You're awake." He sat bolt upright, staring at the speaker.

"Se—Lord Sesshoumaru!" he gasped. "What-?"

"No. You don't get to ask questions. I'm asking the questions, here," Sesshoumaru cut him off. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Hisoka was asleep – which she was, cuddled up in his pelt. (A/N: I've heard it's called Mokomoko but…idk) "I heard you talking to Naraku." InuYasha bowed his head, his ears drooping. "Why would you say those things?!"

"Because it's the truth," he whispered. "I failed…to protect you heart, but I will do my very best to protect everything your body and your daughter."

"Y-you…" Sesshoumaru felt his composure leaving him.

"If I ever thought it would've turned out this way, I'd have never left. If I'd known it was possible f-for Hisoka to exist even…I just…I know this is all late and I have no right, but I'm so sorry." Sesshoumaru swallowed hard. _Why, InuYasha? Why…after all this time…after all these years of hating you…why do I still love you? __**How**__ can I still love you?_ He wondered. "So please…just let me go back and protect you and your daughter." The image of Naraku having his way with InuYasha rose bile in the back of Sesshoumaru's throat, and with it, a possessive growl. He lunged forward and grabbed InuYasha by his hair, pulling him into a ferocious kiss. It was only about halfway through that he realized it was more desperate than fierce, but by that time he was too caught up in the sweet pressure of InuYasha's lips against his. The scent of his ex-lover filled his nose, overwhelming his senses. He couldn't help it. His brain was hardwired to want InuYasha, his body trained to react to his mere presence. (A/N: was gonna say "trained like one of Pavlov's dogs to react to his mere presence." But the anachronism was too big to ignore.) Even though he'd only done it with the Hanyou once, once was all it had taken. He'd given everything to InuYasha, his body, heart, and soul – and demons mated for life.

"If you love me," he whispered. "Don't let anyone else touch you…ever."

"But…Naraku…"

"Let me deal with him." InuYasha averted his gaze, biting his lip. "Please…InuYasha…"

"Why would you want me back? After what I did to you…"

"I don't know, InuYasha. All I know is that I do. You…you were an idiot…to think that leaving me would help **anything**, but you…you did it because you loved me. And fifty years of hate has worn me down. I can't keep it up, anymore." Sesshoumaru released him, sighing and rubbing his forehead wearily. He felt a hand touch his cheek and he looked up to see his former lover on his knees before him, now, looking at him with the most apologetic, regretful expression he'd ever seen on the face of a living creature.

"I'm so sorry, My Lord," the half demon murmured before leaning in to kiss Sesshoumaru softly, his eyes closed. The demon lord stayed still, allowing the caress to remain perfectly chaste and innocent. His own eyes fluttered shut as a soft sigh escaped him.

"Inu…Yasha…don't…don't stop," he whispered when the younger drew back. "Please don't stop."

"But…H-Hisoka…" he replied just as lowly.

"She's asleep." InuYasha merged their lips, again, holding them there a moment before drawing his tongue out along Sesshoumaru's lower lip – requesting entrance which was given. He ran his tongue over his lover's teeth, across the arch of his mouth, and finally along the length of his tongue, coaxing it into action. The full demon whimpered softly into his lover's mouth, lacing his fingers into InuYasha's silvery locks. At length, the younger ended the kiss, pulling away just a little.

"Have you…had anyone other than me?"

"No." There were various reasons for that. One, he'd never felt any desire to take a partner. Secondly, he had completely sealed off his heart except from his daughter. Thirdly, even if he'd wanted a partner with no feelings attached – something more than readily offered to him by more than enough people – he wasn't about to let someone see him in any sort of vulnerable state, like that.

"I think we should stop here, tonight." Sesshoumaru frowned but was forced to agree. "Besides, maybe you don't want to jump in so quickly. It's a big transition to make after-"

"Demons survive on their adaptability. I want this…have wanted this for a long time. And you…you were going to give yourself to Naraku for my sake. So please…don't make us wait on account of that. However…I don't want Hisoka waking up and asking us what we're doing. She's still a bit young for that talk." InuYasha nodded and sat back.

"I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru – can I call you that?"

"Yes, you may."

"I just…your mother-"

"My mother?"

"She came to me…and it just…what she said made sense. You know, she could've been right, either way."

"No. I would never have been left with a worthless Hanyou, because I had you."

"But Sessh, how could I steal from you what you wanted in life. Kami, the way you'd brighten up and have such passion when you talked about your future…"

"Why didn't you just talk to me about it?"

"You'd have laughed it off. I just…I wanted to protect you…I was confident you would…forget about me."

"Idiot," Sesshoumaru mumbled, curling himself up and snuggling up basically in InuYasha's lap with his head in his chest. "You're so stupid."

"I know. I'm sorry." Sesshoumaru felt the tears rising. It had been at least a decade or two or maybe even three since he'd last cried, and now it felt like all those years of suppressed sorrow were coming out. He buried his face into his ex-lover's chest and inhaled deeply, marveling at how the scent, after all this time, still comforted him. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you." He felt warm, gentle fingers glide through his hair as the younger man rocked him gently. "I never wanted these past fifty years for you." The demon lord let the tears come and go, silently spilling down his cheeks and absorbing into the bright crimson of InuYasha's kimono top. "Sometimes I thought it would've been better if I'd never gone to see you."

"Don't say that. I spent the first one-hundred-twenty years of my life dreaming about you. Our time together…was the happiest time of my life."

"It won't be, Sessh. I will do everything in my power to make you happy, again." Sesshoumaru smiled half-heartedly.

"I know. Just don't let go."

"I won't. Never again."

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter, but I figured I wanted to leave it all happy and gushy for now, and we'll get to the home-coming/arguing scene later.


	10. Parenthood

Lady Suzumi stared at her son and the Hanyou beside him. For a long moment, she had no idea what to think, let alone say or do. Then Sesshoumaru set down Hisoka, who'd been in his arms and ushered her to stand by InuYasha.

"Hisoka, take InuYasha and show him the garden," he murmured gently. The girl nodded, grabbed the half demon's hand, and led him off. InuYasha cast a worried glance back at Sesshoumaru, who was now heading up to his study, with his mother. "Mother," Sesshoumaru murmured, the moment he shut his study door.

"I was protecting you. Sesshoumaru…My Lord, you would never have gotten to where you are today, if you'd stayed with that Hanyou. You'd have been huddled up in some cave with nothing to eat and six puppies to look after," she defended herself.

"I understand why you did what you did," he assured her, his voice none-too-gentle. "I don't think it was right of you to approach it that way. I think you should've talked to me yourself. I think you let your prejudices keep you from caring about all that. But I know…that you never wanted to hurt me. And no matter who else hates you for being so stern and disciplined and removed…(A/N: Shout-outs to all those Suzumi hater-reviews haha.) I admire you your ability to separate emotion from the equation…and you are still my mother."

"Sesshoumaru…" she murmured, surprised that he was not wrathful, as she would've expected.

"I'm upset…that's true. But I don't have it in me to be hateful any more. I've spent too long like that. Besides, as your son, it is not my duty to lecture you, and if head of the royal family could not adhere to proper family etiquette, what would the world have come to?" Suzumi sighed heavily.

"I never knew…that…I mean…I thought…"

"You thought that because of a Hanyou, I was incapable of caring for him and he for me," the demon lord supplied.

"Not because of that. Because of who he is. His mother took your father from you. It is for his life and that of his mother that your father **died**!"

"And you blame him for that…"

"Would any wife like to be passed up for sum **human** woman. I don't care if my relationship was purely political – he was…" she stopped when she realized that she was almost shouting. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. You've never opened up to me about this…to anyone about this. I understand if you don't want to – I won't ask you to if you don't want to, but if you do…"

"I know. Thank you." He kissed his mother's forehead and then her hand before turning to leave. "I felt betrayed…I wouldn't have minded…if it was another political arrangement or another demon, even. But he chose a human over me. What did she have to offer that I could not? He stopped visiting altogether. He played almost no role in raising you. It was like he just…forgot about us."

"But that isn't InuYasha's fault."

"…I know. It's just a painful reminder."

"I'm sorry."

"Which is why I'm going to go live in our beach home. I no longer rule this land and my presence here is no longer necessary. This way, you can live your life as you see fit, my son. You have grown into a strong, suitable demon lord, and I am very proud of you."

"Thank you, My Lady."

"Sesshoumaru…visit…every once in a while."

"Of course, Mother." And with that, the demon lord left. True, when InuYasha had first told him, he'd been angry, but years of practice had allowed him to remove himself from the situation and think about it logically. Would have done any different, were he in her position? He couldn't say. And either way, he knew she was doing her best, even if it had gone so horribly wrong. Besides, she was his mother. She had carried him, birthed him, nursed him, raised him, taught him to read, to write, to fight, to negotiate…he had no right not to forgive her any harm she had brought to him – especially unintentionally.

Sighing, the demon lord headed down the garden to where his daughter and ex-lover were waiting. Hisoka had picked a bouquet of flowers for InuYasha and was now presenting it to him, one flower at a time, telling him the name of each flower as she did so.

"And this one is a hibi bi…bi..bis…" she trailed off, her brows furrowing in concentration as she stumbled over the name.

"Hibiscus," Sesshoumaru supplied, approaching from behind. "The flower is a hibiscus."

"Hibiscus," she repeated brightly. InuYasha nodded and looked up at the demon lord with an expression that clearly begged, "save me, I have no idea what to do."

"Hisoka, have you been bothering InuYasha all this time?" Sesshoumaru chided.

"N-no…it's not bother," the Hanyou stammered. "It's sweet. She's…very sweet." Sesshoumaru lifted a brow. "I-I mean…she's, um…"

"Thank you, InuYasha," the InuYoukai saved him from having to continue as he sat down beside them. The young girl clambered into her "mother's" lap happily, closing her eyes.

"She's really something," the younger whispered at last.

"Isn't she? She's beautiful."

"She looks just like you."

"Except the ears…and she's only got the moon mark."

"Yeah, but she's…she's beautiful like you."

"Thank you. You know…she's your daughter, too." InuYasha choked up at the thought of that. _He's…he's giving me some right to call her mine?_ "Are you tearing up on me?"

"N-no…" InuYasha cleared his throat roughly, looking away.

"Hisoka, open your eyes and meet your father," Sesshoumaru murmured. The girl's eyes snapped open.

"Y-you mean him?" she asked, pointing a finger at InuYasha.

"Yes."

"Yay! He exists! So Okasama is happy, now, right?" she enthused. "You were sad because you didn't know if he existed…right?" The demon princess clambered off of her "mother's" lap to hug the red-clad Hanyou. "Thank you for making my Okasama happy," she whispered. Hesitantly, InuYasha hugged her back.

"I-I'm glad I could," he replied just as softly, kissing her head between her ears.

"Can I call you Otosama?"

"Just Otosan is fine…if Sesshoumaru's okay with that." Two pairs of gold eyes turned to Sesshoumaru, who nodded a little stiffly. "Hisoka, why don't you run off for a little bit and get some flowers for Sesshoumaru, okay?" InuYasha suggested. The girl jumped up and hurried off to do as he said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"You know, you don't have to rush anything…"

"I said I'm fine." The younger reached out to touch Sesshoumaru's cheek. Slowly, he drew the older man in for a soft, sweet kiss. The demon lord whimpered softly into the caress and leaned back, pulling InuYasha with him. "Please," he whispered. "I missed you." The Hanyou's eyes widened slightly.

"S-Sessh…here? But Hisoka…"

"Went inside to attend her studies like she was supposed to do."

"But anyone else could walk by…" Their lips met again, merging and opening to allow for tongues to roll and dance with each other. The younger combed his fingers through his ex-lover's hair before moving to stroke the red markings on his cheeks. Sesshoumaru moaned shamelessly.

"InuYasha…I have not had a single…sexual impulse…in fifty years…my body is definitely trying to compensate for that so **please** don't leave me hanging," he pleaded softly. InuYasha sat up, but only enough to start divesting them both. "Inu…Yasha…I need to feel you." Strong, calloused fingers worked their way over a pale, smooth chest until they found two, pert nipples and began to fondle them lightly. "Mmmm...more." Smiling a little, InuYasha replaced one of his hands with his mouth, nipping and sucking gently. Sesshoumaru arched his spine, his eyes fluttering shut.

"Oh…Kami, Sessh…you're so incredibly sensitive," InuYasha whispered, letting his hot breath wash over Sesshoumaru's chest. He dropped his hips to grind slowly against the demon lord's. Suddenly, with a moan of impatience, the older of the two flipped them. Within the span of about a minute, he had the rest of their clothes off, revealing his achingly hard member. The Hanyou felt his own member respond instantly.

"You were taking…way too long," he panted heavily, his eyes glazed with lust. He leaned down and kissed his ex – _you know what, screw it, _he decided firmly– his lover fiercely. Sesshoumaru straddled the younger on his knees, lifted himself up, and lined up InuYasha's member at his entrance. "I missed you," he moaned. And that was all the warning the half demon had before his beloved slammed down onto him. They both gasped, InuYasha with pleasure and Sesshoumaru with pain. But the demon lord wasn't waiting. His body wanted this and it wanted it now. He started moving up and down, hands on InuYasha's chest for support. The younger now grabbed his waist, supporting him, and sat up to kiss and suck on his neck, trapping his lover's member between them. Their lips merged in a hot, sloppy kiss that slowly dissolved as they both neared their completion.

"I…I'm not going to last long…" InuYasha whispered. Sesshoumaru shook his head, signaling the same. A moment later, he came, clamping down around InuYasha hard and bringing him to his own mind blowing high. "Sesshoumaru!" he sobbed his relief. They stayed there for a long moment, catching their breath, still connected. Once his breathing had leveled out again and his heart was no longer pounding in his chest, Sesshoumaru got off his lover and gathered his clothes.

"You going to come bathe or not?" he asked. InuYasha scrambled to get dressed, but he couldn't get more than his hakama on before Sesshoumaru was dragging him off to the hot springs to wash off. Five minutes later saw them contentedly settled into the hot, steaming water.

"I guess you're not so naïve, anymore, are you?" the Hanyou commented.

"Probably not. I understand the mechanics of sex a lot better, if that's what you mean…did that disappoint you?"

"No! Kami, no. No, that was…phenomenal, I just…I wasn't expecting it." InuYasha flushed slightly. Sesshoumaru leaned over and kissed him soundly.

"I'm glad you didn't mind."

"Sessh…did you mean what you said…about me being Hisoka's father?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. We already do quite a bit of traveling, so I don't think you'll get too restless. And even here at home, I'm sure we'll find a use for your…excess energy." The Hanyou's cheeks flushed deeper, but he masked his embarrassment with a smirk.

"If you say so, Princess. Just don't let yourself get worn out." Then, his smile faded. "Sessh…I…"

"Look, InuYasha. I spent the past fifty years of my life dreaming that what happened between us was a misunderstanding, a mistake…anything but what it seemed like it was. If that dream just came true for me, please don't spoil it with regret and remorse." InuYasha nodded. _He says that like it's easy,_ he thought ruefully._ Still, it's the least I can do for him, if it will make him happy._

"Okay. No more regret. I promise. Just commitment…" He sealed his vow with a kiss to his beloved's forehead. Suddenly, his heart sank. "What about Naraku?"

"Let me handle Naraku. He won't go long without making another move to get you, again, so we'll catch him then."

"I-if you say so. He's a lot more powerful than he looks."

"I can handle him. The question is…why does he hate you so much?"

"Kikyo."

"What about her? You said she was nothing."

"She was. But Naraku was in love with her…and she chose me – not that I'd really been asking for it. I had sort of a guard-dog thing for her. I did anything she asked. So when she wanted…you know…sex…I couldn't refuse her. However, when she asked me if I loved her and I said I did not and never would love her…well, she got depressed and committed suicide, and Naraku has hated my guts ever since."

"And all this by the time you were – what – seventeen?"

"Sixteen." The demon lord let out a low whistle. "Anyways…it's not exactly something I'm proud of…"

"I'm sorry. Come on. I have to go make sure Hisoka has completed her lesson." And with that, Sesshoumaru got up and dressed, leaving InuYasha to follow.

* * *

I foresee only a few more chapters on this story, just enough to tie up loose ends and set a tone for how the rest of their lives are going to take place. Thank you all for your continued support and reviews. If you have any criticisms, don't be shy - post in a review or PM me!


	11. Puppies

InuYasha watched as Hisoka went through her studies under her "mother's" watchful eye. She was, at her young age, capable of literacy he had never been afforded. A bright, clever, energetic young girl, she leant herself to her studies well and mastered the material almost as quickly as it came. All in all, InuYasha found her simply amazing. He couldn't believe that she was related to him, and he always felt so distant from her. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stood from his seat beside his daughter, kissed her head, and walked off, giving InuYasha a meaningful glance that left the Hanyou wondering, _what the Hell did that mean?!_ The door clicked shut behind the demon lord and InuYasha just stared at Hisoka for a long moment, suddenly uncomfortable.

"So what are you learning?" he asked at length. She looked up at him and smile brightly, melting his heart in an instant.

"Today's my history lesson," she informed him.

"History? Wow, you must be pretty smart, then." He walked over to look over her shoulder. His fingers traced the lines of text he couldn't even read.

"I'm learning about The War of the Dragon Lord! He was the King of the West before the InuYoukai clan took over," she informed him.

"Is that so?" He kissed her head and trailed little caresses up her ears, causing her to giggle lightly. "I'm glad you have the opportunity to learn these things."

"I'm glad you decided to come live with us. Okasama was sad, but now my mother is happy. Otosan…do you love us?"

"Yes. Very much."

"Did you learn all these things when you were young?"

"No. In fact I…I can barely even read," he admitted a little ruefully. She blinked, shocked, and then she looked sorrowful.

"Oh…" Suddenly, her face brightened. "I could teach you!" He stared at her for a long moment then nodded slowly.

"I-if you want. You already seem pretty busy." She turned around to hug him around his waist, burying her head in his stomach.

"I think it would be fun," she mumbled, her voice muffled by his shirt. "Wouldn't it be nice. Plus, then I can get to know you better!" He chuckled lightly.

"Yeah…I guess so." She stood up, releasing him.

"Wait here. I'll get some of my readers." Then, she ran off. He watched her with a faint smile on his face. Sesshoumaru came in a little while later.

"I hope the two of your are getting along," he murmured.

"She wants to teach me to read."

"You…didn't know?"

"Well, not everyone was raised in a palace being taught these things. I learned a little when my mother was alive, but I haven't even tried in so long…I don't know if I can ever remember anything, from that time."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound…offensive, I was just surprised."

"It's okay. Um…anyways…she thought it would be a good way to get to know each other, so I figured I'd give it a shot."

"I'm glad." Sesshoumaru leaned in and kissed him, his fingers lacing through his hair to draw him closer. InuYasha unconsciously groaned his approval and nudged the older man's mouth open with his tongue, pleased when he was readily granted access. Their tongues twisted and rolled with each other, toying playfully. The door slid open and Hisoka came in. InuYasha yanked back, a bright red blush painting his cheeks. Sesshoumaru smiled a little.

"Oh…were you two kissing?" she asked. The demon lord, totally unabashed, nodded. "Yay! That means you love each other, right? That's why Okasama kisses me, so that must mean you two love each other, too!"

"It does." InuYasha slapped a palm to his forehead.

"You don't have to be so straightforward about it!" he grumbled. Sesshoumaru smirked a little, his brow lifting mischievously.

"Oh? I don't see any other way to be, InuYasha. If I'm not straightforward about my feelings for you, you might do something stupid like run off on me, again." And with that, he pulled InuYasha over and kissed him, again, though chastely, this time.

"S-Sessh…" the Hanyou mumbled, embarrassed. The demon lord smiled and kissed his daughter's head.

"I guess I'll leave you two to your studies," he excused himself, walking off. He heard them talking after he left. _I'm glad they get along,_ he thought. _Of course, Hisoka gets along with everyone, and InuYasha always had a way with children and small animals._ He meandered along the halls, putting off returning to the paperwork he'd decided not to delegate to someone else. Having InuYasha in the palace had been a huge change…an uncomfortable adjustment to say the least. No one dared argue with him – the council had only brought it up once, and once was enough for them to learn how adamant their lord was about this – but he could **feel** their disapproval, their hatred, their disgust. He knew the second they could find a good excuse, they'd do everything in their power to get rid of his Hanyou lover for good. Never before had he been so painfully aware of the anti-human prejudice among the demon community. Of course, this was probably his first time in a long time not being an active participant in that bias. After all, even if he didn't love humans, now, he couldn't exactly hate them either, considering his lover was half human.

A heavy sigh slipped past his lips and he glanced around to make sure no one had been around to hear it. _Maybe,_ he mused, _it would be better for us all to go somewhere else for a while. Travel maybe?_ He frowned slightly. _No, not until I've taken care of Naraku. It shouldn't be too long before he comes for InuYasha, anyways. I just have to make sure that when he does, I'm ready and Hisoka is far out of the way. I could send her to live with my mother for a while._ Again, he frowned. He didn't like the idea of sending his daughter anywhere beyond his immediate grasp, even if his mother was there to take care of her.

His mother, of course, was his other problem. If anyone had the power to separate him and InuYasha, it would be her, and even though she said she wouldn't try, anymore, he was having a hard time trusting her, after finding out what she'd done fifty years ago. He had forgiven her, of course, because it was his duty as a son to overlook any slight of hers against him, and it wasn't like she was ill-intentioned, but forgiving wasn't the same as forgetting, and his mother's hatred of humans ran deep. _Maybe it would be better to go seek out Naraku on my own,_ he considered. Then he quickly banished the idea. Giving Naraku home-field advantage was just plain stupid. The half-demon was clever, and even if he was no match for Sesshoumaru, underestimating him was not a good plan.

Huffing at his own inability to handle the situation easily and efficiently, he went to go do his paperwork. A part of him enjoyed the simplicity of reading reports and signing them and not having to worry about anything other than the words on the page. It was a nice distraction from everything else he had to worry about. And it felt nice, holed up in his study, in his cocoon of comfort and familiarity, to just do the work he knew best. Here, he didn't have to worry about dealing with people as people. They were assets, liabilities, just tools to be balanced in the scales of cost and benefit. He could look at them with one-hundred percent objectivity and decide just how disposable they were…how easily he could replace them or eliminate the need for them. He could evaluate who was most important to his country, how to keep them satisfied and doing whatever it was they were doing, and then who all he would piss off by doing so. There was no grey area, no troublesome sentimentality or personal matters. It was in these times he could breathe a sigh of relief and know he could at least do something right. Even if his personal affairs were a mess, he could be positive he was doing what was best for his people.

Several hours later, after he'd completed his paperwork for the day, he headed down to the garden, where his nose told him Hisoka and InuYasha were, to find his family sitting on the lawn, laboring over a book. Well, InuYasha was laboring, Hisoka was patiently helping him, her finger beside his under the words. The demon lord smiled fondly at them, amused by their intense concentration. After a long time, Hisoka stood up and kissed InuYasha's head, right between his ears.

"Good job," she told the Hanyou proudly. "I think we should take a break now, or else Okasama might get jealous, because we're ignoring him."

"Thanks…" InuYasha mumbled.

"Here, you can have this as a reward." She dug a candied chestnut from a bag of treats Sesshoumaru had given her and held it out for Inuyasha. "This is for working so hard!" InuYasha flushed a little and took it.

"Thank you, Sensei," he murmured, bowing respectfully from his sitting position. She giggled and hugged him happily.

"You're welcome, Otosan!" He scooped her up and stood, swinging her around in a circle before kissing her cheek.

"Well, you should get a reward for being such a good teacher, too." She blushed but didn't protest. "What can I ever do to repay you?" the Hanyou asked.

"Um…well…I like it when Okasama carries me and runs really fast – I can't run that fast yet – so you could…" InuYasha glanced at Sesshoumaru, who nodded, before switching the little girl over to ride piggy-back style and taking off around the garden. Sesshoumaru chuckled and took a seat by the koi pond to wait. _They look so happy, together,_ he thought contentedly as the piggy-back ride evolved into playful wrestling and chasing. He chuckled, wondering how long it had been since he'd played like that. He'd done a little with Hisoka, mainly for her benefit, as she had no other playmates. But the last time he'd actually played as pups are wont to do had been with InuYasha, back when they'd first met. _Well, I guess that's probably because they both are still puppies, while I've matured beyond that,_ he thought idly. Even though Hanyou's matured faster than demons, they weren't considered adults until they hit about twenty to twenty-five years of age, and while InuYasha had been forced to become mentally and emotionally mature faster than that, he was still a puppy at heart.

Suddenly, he found himself being tackled by his daughter, interrupting his thoughts completely. He caught her against his chest, chuckling, but could not do the same when InuYasha followed, leaping on him, pinning him down with Hisoka trapped between them. The Hanyou flashed him a grin.

"Stop moping and take that stick out of your royal behind, so you can join us already," he panted. Sesshoumaru lifted a brow, doing his best to look disapproving.

"InuYasha, I am Lord Sesshoumaru, the Great Dog Demon, Lord of the West. I do **not**-!" he began to protest.

"Save it for someone who cares, **My Lord**. If you can't loosen up here in your own home, let's go somewhere that you can." The half demon now leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Well, it would seem I can't do much of anything, trapped like this, now can I?" InuYasha got off him and Sesshoumaru stood up, placing Hisoka on her feet. He kissed InuYasha's cheek and whispered huskily, "I'll play with you, later, InuYasha." Then he leaned back and sauntered off, leaving a stunned, blushing Hanyou behind him.

* * *

Sorry for the wait on the update. School work blah blah blah, you don't need to hear my rant about it :)


	12. Beauty and Vibrance (end)

Sorry for the wait on the update! Here it is, and I think this is the end, because I don't know where else to go from here, and it's dragged on long enough, I think. Plus I like the finishing quote. So yes, it's abrupt, but... *shrug* I've never been good at endings. I was going to make the Naraku problem longer and more complex but then...I just didn't have the energy for it, so I decided to wrap it up. (Plus 12 is my second, favorite number, and that's how many chapters I have, now, so...)

* * *

"My Lord," the captain of the guard came into his study. InuYasha and Hisoka were outside studying, again. "We have sensed the half-breed, Naraku's, presence nearing." _Finally,_ Sesshoumaru thought, standing.

"Good. I will handle him."

"If I may protest, please at least let me accompany you."

"I would rather not scare him off. You may come if you smell an excess of my blood." The tiger demon bowed.

"Thank you, My Lord." The demon lord strode out. "And post extra guards surreptitiously nearly daughter and chosen mate. Naraku is not to get to them no matter what. And if I don't come back soon, make sure you keep InuYasha here so he doesn't go do something stupid."

"Yes, My Lord, but-!"

"No buts. Even if something happens to me, its his duty to take care of Hisoka. Also, should something happen to me – not that Naraku is capable of killing me – please request that my mother take over the head of the West once again until Hisoka is ready to rule."

"…Yes, My Lord." Sesshoumaru now strode off, leaving the palace and heading towards Naraku's scent. The half demon was approaching on foot, swathed in his fur cloak and baboon mask. He stopped when Sesshoumaru appeared before him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru…how polite of you to come greet me," Naraku greeted him guardedly. The demon lord smiled thinly.

"You know, before you kidnapped my daughter, I was going to hunt you down and offer you a deal. You would stop pursuing InuYasha and I would let you live. However, you abducted my daughter, and I just can't seem to find it in the goodness of my heart to forgive you. The most I can offer you is a quick death."

"You underestimate me." Sesshoumaru scoffed and with a roar, transformed into a giant, white dog. Before Naraku had time to recover from his surprise, he was pouncing on the half demon. Naraku managed to dodge just in time and thus began the battle. It didn't take long for the half demon to realize just how thoroughly outmatched he was. He'd come prepared to sneak in, snatch InuYasha, and leave, not fight an all-out battle with a very **angry** demon lord. Sesshoumaru's relentless attacks began to wear him down, and he started looking for ways to escape, but each time he tried, he was pinned back down, again. His regeneration began to slow, and the strikes he got in on Sesshoumaru were glancing at best, more often completely ineffective. Suddenly, the InuYoukai had him pinned on the ground and the last thing he saw were the demon's red eyes leering down at him and the flash of teeth.

Sesshoumaru transformed back into a human, staring at Naraku's disintegrating body. Blood dripped from his fingers and smeared across his face. It was disgusting, but there was some animal sense of accomplishment in it, some bestial triumph that urged him to go roll in the gore and revel in it. Quashing that disgusting, base instinct, he instead turned on his heel and headed back inside to bathe.

Relaxing into the hot springs, head leaned back and eyes closed, he realized that he probably should feel a greater sense of accomplishment. After all, Naraku was the one that had defeated InuYasha, right? He couldn't have been too pathetic, but still, he could only feel like he'd just defeated another enemy. Somewhere in the back of his head, he still didn't even feel like Naraku had been a worthy opponent.

_You think about him too much,_ he chided himself. _He's dead, who cares about how worthy or unworthy he was? You killed him; he will no longer threaten your family._ There was a knock on the door and then InuYasha came in. Sesshoumaru heard the Hanyou slip into the water beside him. A warm, calloused hand settled on his shoulder, rubbing gently in small circles. He exhaled deeply, smiling at the comfort of it.

"I smelled Naraku's blood on you when you came back."

"He's no longer an issue."

"You killed him…just like that?"

"Yes."

"O-oh…"

"What?"

"Well…I guess I forgot how much stronger you are than me." Sesshoumaru chuckled and kissed InuYasha's nose.

"It's only natural – I'm a full demon, not to mention I've had more time and training than you…by quite a bit. If you fight like you did fifty years ago, you're not even close to realizing your full potential."

"F-full potential?"

"I think with real training and hard work…you could get a lot better. Especially if you learned to use a sword." InuYasha slid around in front of him, staring at him very seriously.

"Will you teach me? Since coming here…I realize how much I have to learn, still. I always thought I wasn't missing that much, but even compared to the servants here…I know nothing." His ears drooped a little. "All this time, I thought I could take care of you, but it turns out I'm the one that needs taking care of."

"InuYasha…that's not true. You know a lot about how to take care of yourself, and others, especially for the nomadic lifestyle you've gotten me addicted to. Don't get all depressed, like this. It's not like you." The Hanyou smiled a little.

"I just hate feeling useless."

"You're making me happy…isn't that enough."

"Y-yeah…I guess. It's just…you know, Naraku was my problem…and I got you involved, and then you took care of it and…I just feel like I'm always putting burdens on you when really I just want to take care of you. Good intentions are one thing, but they're no good if I only do exactly the opposite of what I want." Sesshoumaru frowned curiously.

"You're not burdening anyone. Hisoka loves having you around, even when she's just with me, she talks about you all the time. I guess even after all this time, she still wanted to have her father around…"

"I feel like her playmate more than her father, most of the time."

"Hm…well, no doubt she gets lonely. The servants are too shy to play with her, and often I'm too busy. Until you came, she spent the vast majority of her time alone. I always regretted it a little, but it was how I was raised, and no doubt how my mother was raised, so…I knew no other way, I suppose."

"…Someone in your position must get pretty lonely then…"

"Well, I didn't get lonely, really. I mean, I got bored…nothing was exciting, but I didn't get lonely. I suppose I'm just one of those people…who don't need much company. Which is why it's so surprising that I enjoy yours as much as I do, even when we're not…intimate."

"You like having me around…for more than…that?"

"Of course. If I wanted you for only sexual intercourse it would've been easy to almost never see you and just call you to my room when I wanted you – I would've even had you live in the servants quarters. I chose for you to live in my room with me because I want you around me as an equal…not just as a bed warmer."

"O-oh…I never…realized that." The demon lord leaned his head back, closing his eyes, again. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Yes, I have been made aware of the fact."

"No, I mean, you are the most beautiful…anything that I've ever seen in my entire life. Even compared to the sunrise or the full moon or the snow-filled woods…before I met you, I thought those were the most beautiful sights in the world…and then…I saw you for the first time and it was like…like beauty hadn't even existed until right then." Sesshoumaru chuckled, basking in the sincerity of the praise.

"Until I saw you…my world was grey," he admitted softly. "You vibrancy…was something I had only ever dreamed of, and even then…my imagination was pale by comparison."


End file.
